The Demon's Contract
by Cheating Death
Summary: "P-please, I'll give you anything. I-I don't care what the price is, I'll give you whatever you want. J-just please, h-help me," Hinata begged, the remains of her nightgown torn and soaked with blood. The mysterious blonde male smirked down at her petite, quivering form, a hint of amusement in his crimson eyes. "I'll help you with your revenge in exchange for your soul..." NaruHina
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, this is a story that I decided to start, since I'm still in the process of figuring out how I want to do my HidaHina story. I admit that I was inspired by Kuroshitsuji, and wanted to make a story similar to that. Some of the details are similar, but I wanted to change up a fair amount and make it more suited to how I wanted it. I just didn't want people to accuse me of 'ripping off someone else's work'. Here is the first chapter, so let me know what you think. I will continue based on how the reception is.**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 1**

"You do understand just how crucial it is for you to learn this, correct?"

"Y-yes, Father," Hinata timidly replied. "I understand. If I am to take over someday, I-I need to know everything about the company." She dared not sit down on one of the lounge sofas in her father's office, for she feared that she'd doze off the second she got comfortable.

Hiashi glanced at his daughter, then over at the clock on the wall. It was nearly ten o'clock at night, and although she had not hinted towards it, he knew that Hinata was probably exhausted and just wanted to get to bed. She'd been up since five that morning, so it wasn't a surprise to him.

"Not just the company, Hinata. The mansion, all the estates that we own; everything. I won't be around forever, so it's important for you to learn every last little detail. Hanabi will be included more when she's older, but now that you're eighteen, you must take things more seriously."

"B-but I am," the indigo-haired girl protested.

"You've learned the informative aspect of the company, but you need to work on your social and business skills. Your stutter has decreased, but people are looking for confidence. As much as I hate to say it, being kind and honest isn't what will get you by in the real world," Hiashi explained. "I'm not trying to put you down, since those are not bad qualities to have. However, people are greedy and ruthless. They will do whatever it takes to get what they want, however they want. And you must do everything in your power to make sure that you are the one who comes out on top. If you want to succeed in life, you have to kill your emotions. And if we want to continue being one of the most successful automobile manufacturers in the country, then we can't allow anyone to get the better of us." He sighed and offered her a tired smile. "It's getting late. You should head to bed and get some rest. I've got a little more paperwork to finish up. We will go over this more in the morning, and I want you attend a conference with me as well. Prepare yourself."

Hinata nodded in understanding. "I will. Goodnight, Father." With that, she turned and left the office, heading down the long hallway to enter a different wing of the mansion.

It appeared that the servants had turned in for the night, as the majority resided within the staggering manor. The rest had either gone home or simply hadn't been scheduled to work that day. Regardless, the corridors were dimly illuminated by the moon as Hinata passed by several windows. Her mother had most likely retired for the night as well, probably reading one of her novels in bed.

"So, was Father lecturing you again?"

Hinata jumped slightly and whirled around to see her younger sister emerging from the bathroom that she'd just passed. "Oh, Hanabi. I didn't even see you there."

The thirteen year-old girl smirked at her older sister. "Heh, sorry. But you didn't answer my question."

"Yes, Father wanted to talk to me," Hinata told her. "Nothing different than usual."

"Oh." Hanabi didn't look convinced, feeling as though there was more to it. Still, she didn't feel like pressing the matter. "Well, don't work yourself too hard, Nee-chan. After all, Father might want you to take over someday, but you need time for yourself, too, ya know. Maybe you should look into getting a boyfriend. How about one of those Uchiha boys? They're pretty good-looking," she said with a suggestive wink.

Hinata blushed and shook her head. "N-no, I think I'm all set. Anyway, I'm tired and just want to get to sleep. You probably should, too. We have to be up bright an early like every other day," she added with a hint of dread.

"Well, at least you don't have Father bugging you about your grades," Hanabi muttered with annoyance. "According to him, I should do better, 'Just like your sister'," she quoted begrudgingly.

Hinata sighed. "You know that you're smart, too. You just need the motivation."

"I would have more motivation if Sensei wasn't so freaking boring," the younger girl mumbled as she rolled her eyes. "If he hired a hotter, more interesting sensei, then maybe I'd be more willing to pay attention."

"Goodnight, Hanabi," Hinata remarked with a small laugh, amused. "See you in the morning."

"Night."

The sisters parted ways and headed off towards their bedrooms. Upon entering her room, Hinata closed the door and began to undress. Despite her exhaustion, she resisted the urge to simply flop down onto her bed and pass out and showered instead. Once she had put on a white, sleeveless satin nightgown and had brushed her damp hair, she finally crawled into bed and snuggled under her warm blankets. In less than two minutes she'd fallen asleep into a peaceful slumber. She hadn't expected the hellish torment that she'd wake up to.

_Four hours later_

"Just leave her. She'll bleed to death before anyone finds her. Serves her right. Let's hurry up and get the fuck outta here."

Shivering and whimpering, Hinata could vaguely see the silhouettes of three men as they turned and left. She lay in a fetal position, her tattered nightgown clinging to her skin as the rain continued to pour down onto her. Her hand was pressed up against her stomach, and she could feel warm blood spurt through her fingers. More trickled from the hole in her back where the bullet had exited. Tears ran down her face as she let out an anguished scream. Not from her wound, but something much more agonizingly painful.

"Th-they're g-gone," she murmured hoarsely, her body shaking from just how cold she was. "A-a-all of them..."

Her father. Her mother. Hanabi. The servants. Even the guards that had been stationed for the night. Every single person who had been on the property was dead. The mysterious group of men who had infiltrated the mansion had spared no one and had left her to die. She hadn't even been worth finishing off it seemed. Instead, she'd been left to slowly bleed to death, spending her last moments replaying the massacre that she'd witnessed only minutes ago.

Hinata let out a choked sob, struggling not to hyperventilate as she lay under the dimly lit sky. Rain washed away some of her blood, but most of it had soaked into the torn remnants of her nightgown. She coughed up a mouthful of blood, forcing more of the sticky fluid splatter from the bullet hole as a result. Several bruises marred her porcelain skin from when she'd been forcibly dragged outside after she'd watched the execution of her family. Gunshots and screams had echoed throughout the manor as each and every staff member had been eliminated one by one. The whole scenario seemed like something that Hinata never could've even imagined in her worst nightmares.

The indigo-haired girl whimpered and hugged herself, her bloodstained fingers moving away from her wound. She shivered violently, more tears cascading down her face and onto the soaking wet ground. Her body racked with sobs as she finally broke down in despair, mourning everyone that she'd lost.

_It won't be long until I join them._ She sniffled, briefly glancing up at the pale moon as the rain lessened into a light drizzle. Who had been the cause of everything that had just happened?_ I'll never get the answer to that_, she bitterly thought to herself.

"Well now, what do we have here?"

Gasping, Hinata jerked in the direction that she'd heard the deep, menacing voice. Doing so caused an almost paralyzing pain to shoot through the hole in her body and she let out cry of agony. She grabbed her stomach, and weakly rolled onto her back. Panting heavily, she forced herself into a sitting position, doing her best to ignore the pain. Had they decided to come back and finish her off?

"Wh-who's th-th-there?" Being both cold and terrified caused her to stutter worse than usual. She looked around, her only source of light being from the moon. Squinting, she scanned the area, her heart pounding with dread. She heard a low, guttural growl directly behind her and felt her heart skip a beat. However, when she anxiously looked over her shoulder, there was nothing there.

Had it been a wolf? But she'd definitely heard a male's voice only seconds before. What was going on?

"You look like you're in pretty rough shape."

"Who's there?" Hinata called out with a flinch, growing more uneasy as the seconds passed. She was petrified, but forced herself to cautiously look around her surroundings again.

It was then that she saw a pair of eyes watching her from several feet away, the rest of the figure completely cloaked in the shadows. The irises were a deep crimson, and the pupils were dark, vertical slits. They peered at her with interest and a hint of amusement.

"Wh-who are y-you? W-what do you want?" Hinata questioned fearfully.

"I have a better question," the figure asked her, his eyes never leaving her. "What do _you_ want?"

Taken aback, Hinata frowned with confusion. "W-what do you mean?"

He chuckled softly. "If I were to answer your question, I'd have to say that I want you. You look absolutely delectable."

The girl stiffened, her blood running frigid. "What?"

"However, if you were to answer _my_ question, what would it be that_ you_ desired?" The silhouette took a step closer, his features still hidden in the shadows. "You look like you suffered quite a bit. If you could have one thing in the world right night, what would it be?"

"M-my family," Hinata choked out, her eyes brimming with more tears. "B-but there's n-n-no way to bring them b-back."

He moved forward a bit more, and Hinata could begin to make out his form. His profile looked human, but it appeared as though he had several fox-like tails. However, Hinata wasn't sure if it was the lighting or her eyes just playing tricks on her, for when she blinked, the tails seemed to have vanished.

"You are correct about that. So choose something else. Think about it."

For a moment, Hinata almost ruefully replied that she didn't want to die. Yet those were not the words that escaped her lips. "Revenge."

The man grinned, but did not come any closer. "Suppose I could help you with that. Would you take me up on the offer?"

Hinata wiped her eyes, shaking her head with disbelief. "I d-don't think anyone could do that..."

"I can. And I will. That is, if you're willing to agree to my terms," he told her. "After all, what have you got to lose? It looks like everything you've ever cared about is gone anyway."

She gaped at him with shock, almost too stunned to speak. Was this guy serious? Just who the hell was he and where had he come from? However, his sweet, enticing words were intoxicating and she couldn't help but be interested. It seemed too good to be true.

"B-but I-I'm dying and-" Hinata winced and doubled over, clutching at the wound in her abdomen. The pain was getting worse and she began to feel light-headed.

"Don't worry about that small detail," he replied with a snicker, now drawing closer until he was only a few feet away.

Now that he was so close, Hinata was able to finally make out the rest of his features. He was deviously handsome, appearing to be around twenty years old. His short blonde hair spiked out slightly, and he had three whisker-like marks on each of his cheeks. His attire consisted of black pants and a black coat with an orange zipper. He was physically well-built and he seemed to tower over Hinata's much smaller form. His red eyes were almost hypnotizing as he gazed into hers.

"What's your name?" Hinata asked, her eyelids getting heavy as she gradually grew weaker.

"I go by a few different names...but you can call me Naruto," he answered, crouching down in front of her. "Now...about my offer. I can help you carry out your revenge on the condition that I get one thing once it is completed."

She gave him a brief nod. "Anything."

"It's kind of a heavy price, but if you want this bad enough, I think you should consider it," Naruto gently coerced her as he leaned down at little closer.

"P-please, I'll give you anything," Hinata begged, her eyes pleading. "I-I don't care what the price is, I'll give you whatever you want. J-just please, h-help me."

The blonde male smirked. "I want your soul. After I help you carry out your revenge, your soul is mine for the taking. Do you agree to those terms?"

"M-my soul?" Hinata blinked in confusion. She'd assumed he'd wanted money, but her _soul_?

Naruto reached down and gently stroked her cheek with the back of his finger, his eyes scanning down her body. She was absolutely breathtaking, her torn and bloodied nightgown only deepening his desire. The girl was the true essence of innocence, and he knew that her soul would be like none that he'd ever consumed before.

"What are you...?" Hinata was having difficulty keeping her eyes open. She'd lost a fair amount of blood, and everything seemed so confusing right now. Nothing made sense to her.

"You look like you're running out of time," he mused, not answering her question. "Do we have a deal?"

At that point in time, Hinata no longer cared who or what Naruto was, as crazy as it all sounded. She wanted to get revenge, and she would do whatever she could to make sure that it became a reality.

_'If you want to succeed in life, you have to kill your emotions._' That was the best advice her father had ever given her, which had been during their very last conversation. She would do exactly that. Kill the fear. The hesitation. The weakness and vulnerability that she'd felt her entire life. Everything that would've held her back.

"I agree," Hinata murmured, closing her eyes as she began to lose consciousness. She moaned weakly and started to topple backwards, only for Naruto to catch her.

"Then it looks like we have a deal." Naruto grinned wickedly, cradling the girl in his arms. He leaned down so that his face was only inches from hers, restraining himself from his animalistic urges to just take her soul right then and there. However, he was a demon of his word, and would make sure to keep his promise to her. Her soul would be a prize worth waiting for, and the longer the wait, the sweeter it would be in the end.

Hinata felt his lips brush up against hers and his fingertips grazed her neck. He pressed his thumb against it and almost immediately the tender spot was searing with an immense pain that caused Hinata's eyes to snap open. Her scream was silent, and she could vaguely hear Naruto whisper something into her ear. Seconds later, the burning sensation dissipated, and everything went black.

**If you think it sucked...then humor me by telling me it's fine. Ignorance is bliss as I always say XD The chapter was kind of vague, but it's because it's the first one. Please review and if I get a decent amount of positive feedback, then I will continue with it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm very happy with the positive feedback that I've been getting. Thank you so much for reviewing, or just reading it in general. And as I stated before, I got the idea from Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler). This chapter is somewhat boring, but was kind of needed for informative purposes. It'll get better, I promise. Until then, sit tight, and I hope you enjoy what's to come. **

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 2**

_One month later_

The bloody massacre at the Hyuga Estates had eliminated the majority of the household servants, whose bodies had been sent back to their families. Hinata's parents and Hanabi had been buried behind the mansion in the garden, where three marble memorial headstones stood in a row. The ten servants who remained had been the lucky ones not present on that fateful night. Hinata had made the decision not to hire any replacements, as she found herself unable to trust people anymore.

Four of those servants were young maids that were close to Hinata's age. Their matching uniforms consisted of a short-sleeved black dress that came halfway down the thigh area, and were accessorized with a short white apron tied around the waist. The attire was completed with black thigh highs and white flats, as well as a ruffly white headband that they sometimes chose not to wear.

"I already polished that! Stop re-doing whatever I do simply because you're too lazy to find your own work!"

The first was a girl named Sakura with shoulder-length cherry blossom colored hair and emerald eyes. She'd worked at the mansion for nearly six years, since the age of twelve. Her mother had been one of the maids that had been murdered along with the rest of the servants working that night. Despite that, she hadn't felt right leaving her job and continued her duties as a maid. Aside from her usual chores, she was quite talented with first aid, usually tending to the others if they needed medical attention of some sort. She was kind, but had a fiery temper that she wasn't afraid to show if someone ticked her off.

"Well, maybe if you didn't do such a half-assed job, I wouldn't have to!"

The second maid was an eighteen year-old named Ino, whom had been working there for almost three years. She kept her long blonde hair tied into a ponytail, and her bangs covered one of her blue eyes. Her temper rivaled Sakura, and the two clashed occasionally, despite being best friends. The pinkette had been the one who recommended Ino to Hiashi in hopes of helping her land a job, which proved to be successful. She was chattier than Sakura, and typically preferred to complete her tasks while conversing with others, finding herself hopelessly bored otherwise.

"Starting already, you two? It's a bit early, even for you. I mean, at least wait until after lunch or something..."

Tenten was a nineteen year-old young woman whom had worked at the mansion longer than any of the other remaining servants. She always kept her chestnut hair tied into twin buns, and her wide brown eyes always seemed to hold a hint of mischief. She'd been there for nearly ten years and was Hinata's closest friend. Her parents had also worked for the Hyugas and had been amongst the staff involved in the carnage. However, she found herself unable to bring herself to leave the estate, and decided to stay there with the others. She was a skilled worker, quickly and efficiently completing her tasks in a timely manner. Once flustered, though, her clumsiness would kick in and cause her to accidentally blunder whatever it was that she was doing. She had a cheerful disposition, enjoyed cracking sarcastic jokes, and was not above joining Ino in her gossip.

"At least we can't say that it's ever boring around here."

The last maid of the household was a twenty-two year-old woman named Konan that had been working for the Hyuga's for almost four years. Her straight, light blue hair came down to the nape of her neck and was always adorned with a pale blue flower. Her eyes were deep shade of amber and stood out even more with the lavender eyeshadow she wore. She had a labret piercing beneath her bottom lip. Unlike the other girls, she was more calm and level-headed, and took her responsibilities seriously. Nevertheless, she was kind and compassionate to others, always willing to help in any way she could.

"Enough squabbling and start working in different areas of the mansion. There's plenty to do and you'd get more work done if you simply spread out."

The next household servant was a nineteen year-old named Sai, who held the position as the estate's only remaining butler. His short jet-black hair and equally dark eyes contrasted with his pale complexion. Nevertheless, he was a good-looking young man and wore black trousers, a white dress shirt, a grey vest, and a six-button double-breasted coattail. White gloves and a black tie completed his suit. He had a serious and stoic personality, making sure to follow and complete each of his tasks faithfully while making sure that the mansion was running smoothly. Sometimes it involved him constantly reminding the other servants to get back to work or to do their jobs properly. Although he'd only held his position for two years, his competence and professionalism would make others think he'd worked there for much longer.

"This stupid water is taking forever to boil, un... Now if I could find that damn blowtorch and speed up the process it would make things easier."

The chef of the mansion was Deidara, a twenty year-old man who had been working there for less than a year. He had long blonde hair that he wore in a half ponytail, with the rest of it falling into his face and covering one of his dark blue eyes in a way that was similar to Ino's hairstyle. His all-white outfit consisted of loose pants, an open-collared button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and an apron. He had a laid-back and somewhat lazy attitude, often spending his time resting on a stool that he kept in the kitchen when he was not required to cook anything. Deidara was quite talented when he did cook, but sometimes used methods that weren't what would be considered 'practical'. If he grew impatient, he'd occasionally try to speed up the cooking by using blowtorches, which usually resulted in a small explosion that would ultimately ruin the meal.

"Stupid fucking hedge! No matter how many times I cut the damn thing, it's not coming out even!"

The groundskeeper of the manor was a loud and foul-mouthed twenty-two year-old named Hidan who had been hired two years ago. He was a tall and physically well-built young man with silver hair slicked back out of his face and dark purple eyes. Hidan was more quick-tempered than the other servants combined, and constantly swore regardless of what type of mood he was in. Although he had somewhat of an unmotivated attitude and frequently complained about his work, he somehow did a great job keeping the estate's grounds nicely groomed. However, if something went wrong, such as him accidentally killing a section of the lawn with herbicide, he'd go into a tirade and just slashing at the bushes and plants with the sickle that he kept in the yard. Hidan tended to bicker with Deidara more than anyone else, but wasn't beneath lazing around with the blonde. He usually wore faded blue jeans and black boots, choosing not to wear a shirt while he worked outside, or even when he was inside the mansion until Sai nagged him to put one on.

"This place is always so noisy. It really grates on one's nerves after awhile..."

Sasori was a twenty-one year-old male who'd served as Hinata's chauffeur for the past three years. He had short, messy red hair and greyish-brown eyes that seemed to hold a look of perpetual boredom. His typical outfit consisted of black slacks, and a dark blue button-up shirt with an open black blazer over it. He was not one to show his emotions, and preferred not to get involved in situations that he had nothing to do with. Since he was technically only needed for transportation, Sasori had taken it upon himself to become the mansion's repairman as well. He was deftly skilled at carpentry, plumbing, and almost any other repair that needed to be tended to. Because of this, he could spend more of his time productively rather than just lying around doing nothing like Hidan and Deidara sometimes did. Nevertheless, he hung around with those two when he had nothing better to do, finding their idiotic arguing to be mildly amusing.

"Hey, look at me! I managed to get all of the nice china from the cabinet and not drop a single thing-AAAAH!"

The next household member was a peculiar, hyperactive young man named Tobi. He had messy brown hair and often went around wearing a strange orange make with a swirl design. His outfit was similar to Sai's, though it was always wrinkled and his jacket was sometimes improperly buttoned, giving him a disheveled look. He did not have a set job title, as he was more of a helper for whichever servant may need assistance with their tasks, much to the others' annoyance. He was clumsy and idiotic, always tripping over himself and usually messing up whatever it was that he was doing. While the maids were somewhat more patient with his incompetence, the male servants weren't quite as forgiving. Hidan and Deidara especially hated it when Tobi attempted to help them, and Sai had forbade him for ever trying to assist him again after an incident that caused a chandelier to crash down from the ceiling. Despite his fairly stupid and goofy demeanor, he brought along a refreshing essence that the now-gloomy mansion seemed to need.

"Tobi...how many times must I tell you? It's not wise to run with such fragile items. However, I suppose it's better than the time you ran with those knives..."

The final member of the estate's workers was not technically a servant, but was somewhat of an assistant to Hinata when it came to business and finances. He was twenty-three year-old male named Pain, who had started working for the Hyuga's almost four years ago alongside with Konan. He had spiky red hair and several piercings adorning his face. There were six piercings and a metal bar in each of his ears alone, three studs going through the bridge of his nose, and a spiked stud protruding from each end of his bottom lip. Despite his somewhat off-putting appearance, he retained a cool and collected attitude, making sure to remain polite and professional at all times. Pain was in charge of scheduling meetings and appointments with potential clients, buyers, or sellers. He normally dressed in a dark grey suit with a red tie, and his strange, purple-ringed eyes made it difficult to tell what he was thinking.

Those ten household staff members had been the only survivors left out of what had originally been close to forty servants. The only new person to join the ranks was the young, mysterious man that Hinata had introduced them to the day after the massacre had occurred. Naruto had been hired as Hinata's personal bodyguard, though no one was sure just how she had met him. Nevertheless, Naruto seemed to take his responsibility seriously, and made it a point to escort her everywhere she went. Whether or not they felt as though they could trust him, with the looming paranoia that Hinata could be targeted for another attack, they found it best to give him the benefit of their doubt. There was something about Naruto that seemed to put them at ease, and although they couldn't put their finger on it, they couldn't help but think that Hinata had hired the right person for the job.

"You think that maybe he's some kind of international spy that Hinata-sama hired for protection? Seems plausible, un," Deidara reasoned as he watched the huge pot of water slowly coming to a boil. "Where did I put that blowtorch!? I'll bet that bastard, Sai, hid it, un."

Hidan snorted. "Why the fuck would she hire a _spy_? If anything, he's an assassin or something. Or maybe he was in prison for murder and she decided to bail his ass out so that she could use him as a bodyguard."

"Or maybe he's an alien!" Tobi exclaimed with panic. "What if he tries to probe our brains, Deidara-sempai!?"

Deidara raised an eyebrow. "Did your mother drop you on your head when you were little?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?" The masked man tilted his head slightly.

"No reason, un," Deidara muttered as he rolled his eyes. "But Naruto's not an alien, you moron. He's just a regular guy like me and Hidan. You're in a special class of your own, un."

Tobi gasped with amazement. "I am? Wow, what kind of class is that!?"

Sai poked his head into the kitchen, an irritated expression on his face. "Will you three keep it down? Hinata-sama is in a meeting, and I'm sure she'd appreciate it if your annoying banter didn't interfere with it."

"Oh, c'mon, we're not being_ that_ loud," Hidan retorted indignantly. "Besides, it's not like she's gonna give a damn."

"Regardless, keep your voices down since no one else wants to hear your idiotic conversation," the stoic butler deadpanned. "And get back to work."

"I _am_ working! See that pot of water over there?" Deidara motioned towards the stove.

Sai looked unimpressed. "Yes, you seem very hard at work. In fact, it's almost come to a boil. Good job, Deidara, you've mastered the art of heating up a pot of water."

"Cooking is a form of art, un," the blonde snarled defensively. "More so than the stupid stuff you do all day."

"And you two should be working also," Sai chastised Hidan and Tobi. "The lawn needs to be mowed, and the hedges need to be re-trimmed, since they are ridiculously uneven. You can work together."

Hidan groaned, clearly not a fan of the idea. "I'd rather do it alone."

"Consider it punishment for slacking off," Sai commented with a brief smile.

"You're in no fucking position to be ordering us around, you asshole," the silver-haired male snarled. "You're not in charge, so quit acting like you are. Why don't _you_ let Tobi follow you around for a bit? I'm sure there's something that he can help _you_ with."

Tobi jumped up in excitement. "Oh! Is there something I can to help Sai-sempai?"

Sai had vanished almost as quickly as he'd appeared, leaving the three of them alone once more. Despite that, Hidan begrudgingly got up and headed towards the side door that led out into the massive yard.

"Whatever the Naruto is, I hope he's having a better time than us," he muttered under his breath as Tobi happily followed him.

_Meanwhile_

Hinata placed the sheet of paper on her desk, then looked at the young man sitting in the chair before her. "I'm going to have to decline your proposal, Mizuki-san."

"What? Why not?" He demanded, infuriated by the rejection. "Why won't you take me up on the offer?"

"For one, your figures are not all that promising," Hinata pointed out. "I understand that every company has months that are better than others, but yours are somewhat concerning. And I don't just form partnerships with just anyone."

Naruto stood a few feet away from where Hinata was seated, his piercing blue eyes never leaving Mizuki. He kept quiet, the look on his face almost dared the other male to try anything strange. If the man lost his temper, Naruto wouldn't hesitate to throw his ass out of the office.

"Look, Hyuga-san, it's nice that you're struggling to keep your father's company afloat, but you can't do it alone," Mizuki tried to persuade her. "And let's be honest; women aren't really seen to be very knowledgeable when it comes to vehicles. You manufacture an impressive line of cars, but most buyers will not take a female seriously. Men are typically better suited for such matters. Your father was such a high-respected figure and it would be a shame if the reputation of Hyuga Motors was to suffer as a result of poor marketing."

Hinata's eyes narrowed a bit. "Let me assure you, Mizuki-san, but my company is not struggling in the least. In fact, ever since I took over a month ago, things have been going quite well. I'd even say that they're running slightly better than when my father was in charge. For you to make presumptuous insults like that makes me even less willing to comply with your proposal. Being a man or woman has nothing to do with how well a company is managed. It depends on just how competent you are and how your present yourself. I know exactly what I'm doing, and trust me, if my father hadn't seen me fit to take over some day, he never would've bothered teaching me everything that I would need to know in order to do so. I will not take the demeaning words of rude, boorish person such as yourself over those of my father. You are not worth my time, Mizuki-san, and I am quite disappointed that I wasted any of my time to see you in the first place. I have nothing more to say to you other than 'have a nice day'."

Mizuki angrily rose from his seat. "Now look here-" Before he even realized what had happened, the front of his shirt had been roughly grabbed.

"Why don't you get the hell out of here before I drag you out myself?" Naruto hissed with a menacing undertone. "This meeting is over."

Too intimidated to protest, Mizuki fearfully wrenched away from the blonde and hurried out the door without looking back. He practically ran down the hall and past the startled maids, who looked at each other with confusion.

"Naruto probably scared him off," Sakura mused with a half-smile.

Ino shrugged nonchalantly as she dusted off one of the paintings on the wall. "Hell, I'd be scared too if Naruto gave me 'that look'."

**As I said before, pretty boring. But it'll get better and there'll be more NaruHina, as well as other couples. Please review, and I'll update in either a week, but I'll bust my ass if I get a fair amount of reviews :3**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, here is the next chapter. Not as long or as boring as the previous chapter, thankfully. Please read and review ^_^**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 3**

Tenten lightly knocked on the open office door to get Hinata's attention. "Hinata-sama? Deidara wanted me to let you know that dinner is almost ready. Would you like to come to the dining room or eat in your study?" She already knew what the answer would be, but still felt obligated to ask regardless.

"I'll eat in the study. I have some paperwork that I need to finish," Hinata told her without looking up from her desk as she jotted some notes down on a piece of paper. "Thank you, Tenten."

The brunette nodded in understanding and walked away from the office, letting out a heavy sigh. Hinata hadn't eaten in the dining room once ever since the attack on the mansion the prior month. Her personality had drastically changed, to the point where she seemed like a completely different person.

_Well, not completely different_, Tenten thought to herself. Hinata was still kind and polite as she'd always been, but she was no longer timid or nervous around other people. Her stutter had seemed to have gone away, and she carried a new air of confidence that she'd never displayed before. _It's not a bad thing... I'm just not used to it..._

Alone in the office with Naruto, Hinata finished what she was doing and put her work in a folder before placing it inside her desk. She sighed and rubbed her temples, still upset from the meeting earlier that day. That Mizuki guy had really struck a nerve when he'd insulted her.

"Struggling to keep my father's company afloat," she mumbled to herself as she rose from her desk. "Did he honestly think that I would respond well with that?" She was wearing a dark blue button-up blouse, a short, black pleated skirt, and a pair of flats that matched the color of her top. A black choker was fastened around her neck.

Naruto smirked, his arms crossed in front of his chest, his eyes skimming over her bare legs. "Either that or he was just hopelessly stupid. You handled the situation pretty well, though it would've been fun if I had been allowed to throw him out the window."

"I'd rather not go through the hassle of replacing the glass," Hinata murmured in response as she tiredly walked over towards him. "You can go eat if you'd like. I'm going to take a shower."

"You sure you don't want me to escort you and stay in the bathroom to make sure that nothing happens to you?" He teased her, leaning down so that his face was only inches from her. "I am supposed to watch over you at all times."

Hinata's face turned pink and she shook her head. "N-no, that's not necessary. I-I told you that I don't need you to come with me everywhere I go."

"But it's more fun that way," he added with a flirtatious tone, gently stroking her cheek with the back of his index finger.

Although Hinata had mostly gotten over her shyness, Naruto was the one person who could fluster the indigo-haired girl without any effort at all. He was the only one who could turn Hinata into a blushing, stammering mess. He found it to be amusingly adorable.

"B-besides," Hinata continued, her gaze dropping to the floor in embarrassment, "D-Deidara said that he would make you some ramen. S-so go enjoy it."

Naruto had only two weaknesses, and ramen was one of them. Unless he was consuming souls, his typical appetite consisted of ramen, ramen, and more ramen. It was one of the few human-made things that he enjoyed, and his personality would often make a sudden change at the sound of that sweet word.

"Really? Alright!" With that, Naruto rushed out of the office and headed towards the kitchen to get his beloved meal.

With the blonde demon gone, Hinata went back to her desk and pulled out a black folder, where she removed its contents. With a heavy heart, she scanned over each of the documents, avoiding the photos that had been included. Ever since the night of the murders, she had had relentlessly tried to find clues that would help her figure out whom had been responsible. So far, nothing she'd compiled had included enough evidence that would easily allow her to pinpoint who it could've been. Did Hiashi have enemies that she hadn't known about? He certainly wouldn't have discussed such matters with her, or anyone else for that matter. Could it have been someone who had wanted to buy Hiashi's company or have him start a partnership? Or maybe it was someone whom he'd never dealt with on a business level.

The mansion hadn't been ransacked for valuables, so a random robbery was out of the question. The family had specifically been targeted, and the servants had been taken out as well to eliminate any witnesses. Hinata was grateful that Tenten and the others had not present that night. They'd had a drunken night on the town and stayed in a hotel for the night, as none of them wanted the face the wrath of Hiashi by returning completely hammered. Even Pain and Konan, the more level-headed ones of the group, had decided it to be best to stay away from the mansion that night.

Still, she was no closer to figuring out the culprit than she had been a month ago. Naruto was not a private investigator, and although he'd found her in the aftermath, he had not been present during the actual attack.

"I'll find out who did it one way or another," Hinata murmured to herself, glancing down at the stack of photographs in the zip-locked bag. The pictures were those of the victims of the massacre before their deaths, but she had no desire to look at them at the moment. She'd looked at them every single day, but couldn't bring herself to do it again today. Her head hurt too much and all she wanted was to take a hot shower and probably go to bed. Food was the last thing on her mind.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Ya know, I thought I was hired to cook for Hinata-sama, not you guys, un."

"Eh, shut up. Just be grateful that cooking is all you have to do," Hidan replied to Deidara's complaint as shoveled some beef into his mouth. "You sit on your lazy ass the rest of the time, so the least you can do is feed us."

The servants of the household were all seated in the dining room, taking the opportunity to eat their dinner since the day was gradually coming to an end. Their chores and tasks had been completed, and since Hinata had no other meetings, they could start to wind down for the night. Naruto was happily slurping up his third bowl of ramen, a look of bliss on his face as he ate. Deidara knew how to whip up a decent pot of ramen, and had even added extra pork upon Naruto's request. With the exception of Hidan, who hated vegetables, everyone had a plate with rice, vegetables, and chunks of beef.

"Eh, you know how much you love cooking for us," Ino quipped. "Besides, it looks like that Hinata-sama won't be joining us again. I hardly ever see her eat nowadays."

"She spends most of her time in her office doing work," Konan added with a sigh. "I'm worried about her. She's going to make herself sick with how much she puts on herself."

Pain dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "She's done well picking up where her father left off. I have to admit, I thought she would have a little more difficulty adjusting to taking over. She's adapted without any trouble at all."

"Her personality has changed," Sakura pointed out. "That probably had a huge factor."

"Well, who the fuck wouldn't have after going through what she did?" Hidan mumbled. "Hell, I'm surprised that she hasn't lost her sanity after all that shit."

Sasori scooped up some rice. "She's lucky she didn't die, too."

"Close," Tenten muttered listlessly. She hadn't touched her food at all. "I don't know how she survived, but she did."

"It's odd that they didn't finish her off to ensure her death as well," Sai added. "Obviously it's a good thing that they didn't, but by doing so, they failed to properly complete their orders."

Naruto finished his bowl of ramen and sat back in his seat. "They wanted her to suffer, that's why. Forcing her to watch her family die wasn't good enough, so they intended for her to bleed to death."

Hidan quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah? And how the fuck do you know that?"

The others didn't say anything, but seemed to have just as much curiosity by the way they were looking at Naruto.

"Well, if I wanted to torment someone, I would've done the same thing. First, you take away everything that person cares about and make them witness everything. Once everyone else is dead, you torture that person until you see fit and then leave them to die a slow and painful death."

"What do you mean by 'torture'?" Sakura asked with an uneasy smile.

Naruto shrugged nonchalantly. "Whatever you would consider as sadistic and traumatizing, I suppose. Inflicting pain, humiliation, anguish, or anything else similar."

"Lovely," she replied, sweat-dropping. "Sorry I asked."

"They'll be back. You do realize that, right?" Naruto asked, his eyes subtly glancing over at the pot of ramen on the stove, mentally debating whether or not he wanted another bowl.

Pain nodded briefly. "We are well aware of that. And trust me, we're all prepared for their arrival, whenever it may be."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hinata turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbing the fluffy white towel on the rack. She dried her hair and body, wiping the fogged-up mirror with her hand. Letting the towel drop to the bathroom floor, she stared at her reflection for several seconds in complete silence. Her fingertips lightly skimmed over the small, roundish scar on her abdomen. She had another one on the back from where the bullet had exited out.

"Ugly..." The scars were slightly puckered and were a shade darker than the rest of her skin. Although the wounds had mostly healed up, she still had occasional pain from the damage the bullet had caused inside of her body. She'd experienced some mild discomfort since the morning, but had steadily grown worse throughout the day. After debating for a moment, she opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed a small plastic bottle with pills. She took two of them, swallowing them dry, before replacing the cap and putting the bottle back in the cabinet.

Five minutes later, Hinata's damp hair had been brushed and she donned a sleeveless, light pink silky nightgown that came down to the floor. She walked out of the bathroom, which led directly into her bedroom. To her surprise, Naruto was there waiting for her and she noticed a plate of food on her dresser.

"Tenten wanted me to bring this to you," he explained with a snicker, enjoying her shocked expression. Naruto was wearing only a pair of black sweatpants, leaving his muscular torso bare.

"I-I'm not hungry," Hinata told him, tearing her gaze away from him as her face heated up. "D-did you enjoy your food?"

The blonde took a step forward, noticing how that satiny nightgown hugged her curves in all the right places. "I did, actually. All four bowls. You should eat, too, or you'll have everyone nagging at you about your health. Can't take your revenge if you starve yourself to death," he added with a smirk.

The girl was too tired to protest and began to eat the rice and vegetables on her plate, taking only a few bites of the meat. She was aware of Naruto's watchful eyes on her while she ate, making her uneasy. Nevertheless, she finished most of what was on her dish, knowing that he probably wouldn't leave until she'd eaten a fair amount.

Naruto took the plate from her, his fingers lightly brushing up against her much smaller ones. Her skin was so soft and smooth, almost teasing him.

"Th-thank you," she murmured, tucking a silky lock of hair behind her ear as she gazed up at him with her lavender eyes. "I'm not feeling well, so I'm going to head to bed. G-goodnight, Naruto-kun."

"What, you don't want me to sit there and watch you sleep?" He teasingly asked.

"N-no, that's alright. I don't think I could sleep with someone watching me."

"Well, if you need anything, I'll be close by," he assured her. "And if something goes wrong, well, then I'll just have to kill someone."

**Rather boring and uneventful in its own way, but not as bad as the last one. However, the next chapter will be way more exciting, and I'll have it up in hopefully less than a week. Please review and I'll try to get it done as soon as possible. Thank you x3**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, this is where the story begins to get somewhat interesting. Sorry about the boring ass previous chapters. Thanks for the reviews so far, and please continue to review so that I feel better about myself, haha. Also, feel free to take the poll on my profile. I want to write a NaruHina one-shot and can't decide on the genre, so go ahead and vote for whichever one you think I should go with. I hope you enjoy this chapter x3**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 4**

"Thank you, Sasori. We'll be back in a little while," Hinata explained as she and Naruto got out of the backseat of the car. "I just need to pick up a few items."

Sasori offered a brief smile, sitting back comfortably in the driver's seat with the window rolled down. "Take your time. I'm in no rush."

"Really? You've stated numerous times that you hate waiting," Naruto quipped.

"I don't mind waiting for Hinata-sama," Sasori responded stoically as he pulled out his cell phone. "It is my job to transport her and wait patiently for her return. But in regards to anyone else, then no, I don't like waiting."

Hinata slung her purse over her shoulder. "Let's get going. I shouldn't be long at all, considering I'm only stopping off at two stores."

Leaving Sasori alone in the vehicle, she and Naruto headed towards the first destination. Naruto walked alongside of her, his deep blue eyes subtly glancing over at her every few seconds. Today, Hinata was dressed in a light blue spaghetti-strapped tank top that dipped down into a sweetheart neckline, as well as a short, pleated white skirt. Her outfit was completed with white thigh highs, a white choker, and light blue Mary Janes. Naruto found the view of her cleavage quite enjoyable, as well as the exposed parts of her thighs that were visible between the hem of her skirt and the tops of her stockings. It was very nice indeed, and he suppressed the animalistic growl that had begun to form its way up his throat. Sometimes it was rather hard to control himself, especially if the heiress dressed in such an alluring way.

_Eventually,_ he reminded himself. He would get her sweet soul eventually, as well as the gorgeous body it resided in. Couldn't come soon enough, in his opinion. Naruto smirked to himself as they continued towards Hinata's intended destination. His attire consisted of black jeans, an orange t-shirt, and a lightweight black coat that he kept open. He had a gun tucked into the back of his belt like he always did, though it was more for show than anything else. He had no need for such items, but it kept his facade a bit more convincing to the others.

"It feels nice to get out of the mansion," Hinata murmured, shifting her white purse back over her shoulder as it started to slip off. "I haven't allowed myself out that much in the past month."

"Paranoid?" Naruto asked, glancing down at her petite stature.

The young woman sighed. "Maybe. I'm not really positive, but I suppose a part of me is still apprehensive about going outside. Which makes no sense, considering that I was attacked inside the mansion. So in all reality, you'd think I'd be more comfortable away from the estates. But it's not the case. I guess I have a warped sense of security, and find that I feel safer inside the mansion, regardless of what happened there."

"Most people feel safer at home, so it's really not that ridiculous," Naruto pointed out. "But you don't have to worry about your safety anymore. I'm here to make sure you're well-protected," he added teasingly as he slung an arm around her shoulders.

Hinata blushed, but did not say anything, for she knew it would come out as a stammer-ridden mess. Instead, she continued down the sidewalk with the deviously enticing bodyguard. However, neither of them anticipated the man who came running up from behind them and snatched Hinata's purse right off her shoulder. The sudden jerk nearly caused Hinata to fall over, and she would've if Naruto hadn't been holding onto her.

"Be right back," Naruto growled as he took off after the man, whom was sprinting as fast as he could to get away. It wouldn't take him long to catch up to the guy, even without him using his demonic abilities. There was no need for him to put in that much effort over a petty thief. Still, the man had stolen from Hinata, so he'd have to pay dearly one way or another.

Hinata watched as both Naruto and the thief disappeared out of the sight, and she debated whether she should stay there or head back to the car where Sasori was waiting. Yet before she had the chance to come to a decision, she was roughly grabbed from behind and a hand clamped over her mouth to keep her quiet. Her eyes widened in a panic, and she noticed a man behind her, and three more surrounding them to keep her hidden as they discreetly hauled her into an isolated alleyway. Hinata struggled against the man's hold, her screams muffled by his hand. Seconds later, just as she noticed a black van with tinted windows waiting for the group of men, pressure was applied to the point on the back of her neck. After that, everything went dark.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I really should kill you for that," Naruto mused as he sent a paralyzing kick into the thief's torso. He'd easily caught up with the man after the pursuit, and had since dragged him into a small, nearly-deserted parking lot.

The thief coughed up a mouthful of blood, trying to crawl away from the enraged blonde. However, before he could get very far, Naruto grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up off the ground, his fingers squeezing tightly. The man hacked and choked, desperately trying to gasp for air. With a sadistic grin, Naruto slammed the guy back into the ground, driving his fist into his face and breaking his nose.

"Guess you'll think twice before stealing someone's belongings. You're lucky that I don't just finish you off, but that young lady that you decided to rob would probably be upset if I killed you over a bag." Naruto scooped up the discarded purse and turned to leave, only to hear the man chuckling. He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes menacing. "Do you find this funny? Maybe I _should_ just eliminate you. I doubt you'll be missed."

"You stupid f-fucker," the man sputtered out, holding his hand over his gushing nose. "That whole purse-stealing bullshit...yeah, it was just a distraction for you."

Naruto glowered at him, turning around to face the guy. "The hell do you mean by that?"

The guy coughed, splattering the pavement with more of his blood in the process. He let out another nasally chuckle. "The object was to get you away from the girl so that she was left alone. By now they've got her. And you won't be getting her back alive," he laughed. "It all worked out perfectly."

Furious, Naruto grabbed hold of the man's throat again, his fingers digging in painfully. "Where is she? Where the _fuck_ did they take Hinata?"

"I don't know," he gasped, grinning even as he felt the agonizing pressure against his sternum. "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you!"

"If that's the case, you're of no use to me." With that, the blonde snapped his neck and let the body fall to the ground. Luckily, there had been no one around, which would've made things slightly more of a hassle. "I'll find Hinata myself." He closed his eyes and sniffed the air, trying to pick up the faint, sweet scent that he associated with Hinata. When he opened his eyes again, they were red, just as they had been when he'd first met Hinata. He'd find her, there was no doubt in his mind about that. He might as well tell Sasori to head back to the mansion without them; he'd bring Hinata home himself.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Rise and shine, Princess. Can't have you sleeping the day away."

Hinata was jerked awake with a swift kick against her side, causing her to cry out in pain. She was lying on a hardwood floor, her wrists tied in front of her, and her ankles bound together as well. With a groan of discomfort, she turned her head to look up at the man whom had spoken to her and delivered the kick. She didn't recognize him, nor did she have any idea where she was at the moment. It looked like a storehouse of some sort, as there were boxes and crates lined up against the walls.

The indigo-haired girl counted out five other men in the room, realizing that they had been the ones who had brought her there. She wondered how many others were around, and just how big the building was.

"Who are you? What do you want?" she asked, keeping her voice calm and even.

The man who appeared to be in charge looked to be in his late forties, with unruly graying hair and a thin mustache at the corners of his mouth. His eyes were hidden behind round sunglasses, and he wore a black suit with a purple tie.

"You may not be familiar with me, but I certainly know of you, Hinata," he said with a smirk. "I know that your entire family was murdered a month ago, leaving you to inherit everything. You made out with quite a nice fortune."

"Who are you?" Hinata demanded. "And don't speak about my family like that."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Did I strike a nerve? I'm sorry, it seems I forgot my manners. My name is Gato, the founder of Gato Company. Does that ring a bell at all?"

She thought for a moment, the name sounding vaguely familiar. It was then that she remembered her father complaining of him once a few months back. "You're nothing but a petty drug trafficker who wanted to do business with my father. What is it that you want from me?"

"Well, since your old man is dead, you're the only one left that I have to work with. Which is fine by me," he added with a snicker.

Hinata glared at him as she managed to sit up. "Were you the one who did it? Did you kill my family?"

"I would love to have those bragging rights, but unfortunately no, it wasn't me. But whoever did do it, I'd like to shake their hand and congratulate them on a job well done," Gato laughed.

Since she was tied up, there was nothing Hinata could do while he mocked her deceased family members, her body trembling with rage. She glared at him hatefully, but kept quiet as he continued to laugh.

"Now then, on to business. If you cooperate, I might let you out of here alive. But if you decide to make things difficult...well...you won't like what that will lead to," Gato remarked carelessly. "These guys can be very persuasive."

Hinata glanced at the other men, noticing that three of them carried firearms, while the other two had some type of katana sheathed on their backs. "So what is it that you want? Money, I presume?"

"See, I knew you would pick up on things rather quickly," he stated proudly. "That is exactly what I want. And as I said before, if you agree to those terms, I'll let you leave today with your life. Your father's company and all of its assets equals quite a stammering amount of cash. I want all of it wired over to my account before the hour is up. If you refuse, then those guys will just have to work their magic until you agree."

"Okay," she replied, her tone serious. "I will wire some money into your account, just as you want. How much does it cost for a session with a psychiatrist? I will make sure I send you enough to cover your first visit."

His expression darkened. "You think this is a fucking joke? Well, I'm not playing around here, little girl. If you aren't going to comply, then you'll regret it."

"No, it's you who is going to regret this," she stated flatly.

The man snorted in contempt. "Is that right? We'll see about that." He headed towards the door, glancing over his shoulder. "You guys do whatever you want to her. I'll be back in ten minutes." With that, he was gone, leaving Hinata alone with the five other men.

"Whatever we want, huh?" One of them mused, his eyes scanning up and down Hinata's body. "I don't know about you guys, but I think we can have some fun with her before we start anything else."

"I dunno, Waraji, he only gave us ten minutes," another one snickered. "Then again, if it's you, you'll only need five to finish."

"Fuck you!" The first one angrily retorted as the other three snickered.

Hinata shuddered inwardly, her heartbeat growing more rapid. She knew that Naruto would find her. All she could was pray that it would be sooner than later.

**Okay, that wraps up this chapter. I decided to use Gato (and his henchmen) from way back in the Naruto days (when he was still a twelve year-old brat) because he fit the role pretty well. And if I'm going to write a Naruto story, I might as well use Naruto characters, even if they were minor and only in about four episodes, haha. Please review and the next chapter will be out within a week. The more reviews, the sooner the chapter will be posted. **


	5. Chapter 5

**I finally got off my ass and finished the next chapter, and thanks so much for all the reviews so far. Please enjoy this chapter, and please continue to review to make me feel good about myself. If you haven't already taken the poll on my profile, feel free to do so. I'm just trying to decide which genre to make my next NaruHina one-shot, and I'm taking votes. On that note, read the freaking chapter!**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 5**

"So, Naruto is bringing Hinata-sama home?" Sai asked incredulously.

Sasori shrugged briefly. "That's what Naruto told me."

The butler sighed and shook his head. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

"Aw, relax," Ino said with a dismissive wave. "Naruto will take good care of her. Sometimes you're way too high-strung, Sai. You need to loosen up," she added, grabbing hold of his arm. "Have some fun for once. It's like you're trying to run a funeral parlor or something."

Sai stiffened a bit, his pale cheeks turning a light shade of red as the blonde female clung to him. "I-I'm just trying to keep things in order."

Hidan rolled his eyes, leaning up against the wall. "Why? When was the last time Hinata actually told us to get back to work? She knows that we do our jobs when we need to. We're lucky that we don't work for someone who's always up our ass with work."

"No kidding, un," Deidara mumbled in agreement. "I mean, the place looks fine. Unless, of course, we're expected to get on our hands and knees and start scrubbing the floors with a damn toothbrush."

"Ugh, no freaking way," Ino deadpanned, shuddering at the thought.

The silver-haired groundskeeper smirked. "I dunno. I'm sure Sai here would love for you to be on your hands and knees," he said, nudging the younger male.

"Shut up! Th-that's disrespectful to speak of Ino like that," Sai sputtered, getting even more embarrassed as Ino's eyes went wide from Hidan's comment.

"Alright, alright. Keep your pants on. Ino will just rip 'em off of you later anyway," Hidan mused with a low chuckle.

While Sai and Ino were both too mortified to speak, Sakura decided to change the subject. "Well, since we're all done with our chores, what should we do?"

"Let's have a party!" Tobi exclaimed. "I can make decorations! Deidara-sempai can make a cake-"

"I'm not baking a damn cake, un," the blond male snapped. "We can have a 'party' without all of the annoying details."

"Yeah, all we need to do is raid the fucking bar," Hidan added. "And order some food so that the lazy bastard over there doesn't have to cook."

Deidara shrugged indifferently. "This lazy bastard has no problem ordering take-out."

"It has been depressing around here lately," Tenten added. "We could use a day like this to just lighten the mood around here. Anyone against the idea?"

"I don't think there's any harm to it," Konan agreed.

Tobi squealed in excitement. "Yay! We're going to have a party! I'll go get the board games!"

"Tobi, calm yourself down," Pain told him. "Before you accidentally hurt yourself again."

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

"Last chance. Are you going to cooperate with the boss's orders?"

"I'd rather put the money into a furnace than to give it to some lowlife like Gato," Hinata replied stoically. There was no way in hell she'd give into that scumbag.

The man, whose name she'd learned was Waraji, snickered. "Wrong answer." With that, he roughly pushed her down onto the floor, his hand squeezing one of her breasts.

Hinata's struggled against his hold, disgusted and petrified at the same time. "L-let go of me!"

"Should've fucking listened to me," he stated as the other four watched with amusement. "Too late now." He tugged at one of the straps on her tank top, only to receive a blow to his face. Despite her wrists being tied together, Hinata had still managed to strike him hard enough to momentarily stun him. "You little bitch," the man snarled, then looked at the others. "Help me with her!"

All at once, Hinata was being pressed down onto the cold, hard floor. She tried to squirm away, crying out in protest as she felt her blouse tugged down. Two fingers pinched her nipple, and she let out scream.

"Let me go!" She head-butted the guy who had pinched her, earning a smack across the face for her actions.

"Zori, cut the rope around her ankles, and then spread her legs!"

Hinata writhed and tried to fight them off, crying out as the strap of her top snapped. "No! Stop it!" The rope that bound her ankles together was cut, and she used that opportunity to kick at the men. "Don't touch me, you damn perverts!" She kicked one of them directly in his nose, breaking it with a bloody spray.

"Don't fucking tell us what to do!" Waraji grabbed hold of the choker around her neck to force her up. However, he ripped it off in the process, leaving the girl's neck bare. "What the hell is that?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow as he stared at the marking on the side of Hinata's neck. "Some kind of tattoo?" He touched the red swirl design, only to hiss and jerk his hand away. "Hey! Why the fuck is it hot? That stupid thing burned me!"

_"This mark means that you belong to me now," Naruto whispered, his thumb pressed up against Hinata's neck. "You should keep it concealed for the most part, but if you are in danger, make sure you uncover it. No matter where you are, I will be able to find you immediately. And then I'll kill everyone around you..."_

A small smile formed on Hinata's lips as she stared at her momentarily stunned attackers. "Thank you for removing that for me. Now that I know that he will be coming for me very soon, I can rest easy in the meantime."

Waraji bristled, perplexed. "The hell do you mean by that? No one's coming for you!"

"Is that so?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see for yourself..."

"What the fuck-" He was suddenly interrupted by the sounds of men shouting in the next room over, followed by gunshots. His mouth hung open in shock, and he looked back down at her with a mixture of rage and terror. "Who the hell is it!?"

Hinata simply continued to smile at him, though there was an ominous 'I warned you' aura to it.

The other men looked equally nervous, and they all let out a startled yelp when they heard what sounded like an animalistic growl in the next room over. Blood splashed onto the walls in the other room, but they couldn't see anything else. The gunshots soon died down, until everything went silent.

"I'll deal with you in a minute," Waraji sneered at Hinata, drawing his gun as he rose to his feet. "Don't fucking move." To ensure that she didn't, he slammed his foot down against her chest, pinning her to the floor.

Hinata cried out, his heavy shoe grounding into her painfully. It was then that Naruto stepped into the doorway, his clothes and face splattered with blood. His crimson eyes glanced over at Hinata, and his rage escalated when he saw the state she was in. Her blouse had been pulled down, exposing part of her chest, and a red mark was forming on her cheek from where she'd been slapped. And that ugly bastard standing over her had the audacity to put his filthy fucking shoe on her. They'd tried to touch his Hinata. Oh, there would be hell to pay...

"If you take one step, I'll blow your brains out," Waraji threatened, pointing his gun at him. "And after I kill you, I'm going going to mutilate this girl until she gives into the boss's demands. So if you're smart, you'll get down on the ground and stay there until I say so."

Naruto chuckled humorlessly, his gaze challenging. "Alright. Shoot me." With that, he took a step forward, a sadistic grin on his face.

"Why you-!" Waraji fired several rounds into him, as well as the other two henchmen who were armed with guns.

Naruto's body was filled with bullet-holes within a matter of seconds, and the men didn't stop shooting at him until their guns were completely empty. To their horror, the blonde sighed, as if disappointed.

"Is that all?" he asked with a bored undertone.

"W-what the fuck!?" Zori exclaimed, his eyes wide as saucers. "How is he still alive!?"

Naruto's body was filled with bloody holes, including three in his neck and one in the middle of his forehead. However, right before their eyes, the bullet wounds quickly closed up, pushing the metal rounds out of his body and onto the floor with a light clinking sound.

"What is he...?" Waraji squeaked, dropping his pistol in fear as his body shook with absolute fear.

Naruto glanced down at Hinata, his eyes locking with hers. "Hinata, would you mind closing your eyes? I don't want to scare you."

With Waraji's boot still stomped down against her chest, she did not vocally respond, but closed her eyes as he requested. Seconds later, she heard Waraji screaming, and was relieved when she no longer felt him pressing her down onto the floor. Nevertheless, she kept her eyes fused shut, the screams growing louder and more desperate. There was quite a bit of banging and crashing, and she heard the sound of of bones snapping. She felt a warm, sticky substance mist into her, knowing all to well what it was. It sounded as though the men were being mauled by a wolf, guttural growls and all. _He's_ _more of a fox, though_, she thought to herself while the carnage continued. Those tails that she'd thought she'd seen during their first interaction were more fox-like than those of a wolf. However, he sounded far more vicious than a fox, and she almost felt bad for the those men that he was tearing apart. Almost.

"What the hell is the meaning of this!?" Gato exclaimed as he gazed into the room, his voice laced with terror. "Who the fuck are-" His words were cut off by his own screams as Naruto turned his attention on the drug lord. A wet splatter of crimson painted the wall, and the unmistakable sound of bones breaking were clear in the otherwise silent building.

Hinata stayed perfectly still and quiet, not daring to move a muscle as she waited for Naruto to finish. After hearing Gato wheeze out a death-rattle of a cough, she knew that it was over.

Surveying his work, Naruto grinned wickedly. He'd eliminated Gato and all of the men inside the storehouse, and in a satisfyingly brutal manner at that. The demon turned his attention to Hinata and went over to her, dropping to his knees beside her. He saw the bruises on her chest and reached down to readjust her top, causing the girl to stiffen even as she kept her eyes closed.

"All set?" she asked, her cheeks reddening with embarrassment.

"I'd say so," he quipped, slipping an arm under her shoulders to lift her up. They'd roughed her up quite a bit, but she didn't appear to have any serious injuries. Still, the fact that they'd touched her had been enough to infuriate him.

Naruto picked Hinata up in his arms bridal style and began to carry her out of the room, noticing that she'd finally opened her eyes to see what he had done. Blood was splashed all over the walls and floors, and even on the ceiling, with over a dozen dismembered corpses strewn about. Gato's body had been bisected at the waist, his innards piled into a sickening heap on the floor. Waraji's body had been ripped to pieces, his head thrown unceremoniously in the corner of the room.

"You made quite a mess," Hinata mused, glancing up at him.

The male smirked. "It's not that bad. Trust me, it could've been a hell of a lot worse, but I didn't want to keep you waiting for too long."

The girl sighed and relaxed in his arms, resting her cheek against his chest. It was then that she realized one little factor. "My wrists are still tied together."

"I'll take care of that later," he replied dismissively as he carried her out of the warehouse.

"B-but-"

"We better get outta here before the authorities show up," he lightly cut her off, his speed increasing. "Wouldn't want to get caught up with their investigation. And I decided to leave them a present that would clean up the mess for me."

Hinata gazed up at him strangely. "What do you mean by that?"

Instead of responding, he grinned deviously and broke out into an agile sprint, getting them further away from the building. Seconds later, a fiery explosion broke out right where the storehouse had been, rapidly destroying everything inside. Naruto snickered at Hinata's startled expression, continuing on his way. Bombs weren't really his style, as he had no need for them, but it was quicker than blasting the building away himself. Not only that, but it would allow him to return Hinata back to the mansion sooner.

"Well, that's one way of cleaning up a mess, I suppose," she murmured tiredly as her eyes closed. Her body was sore from the assault, and she looked forward to taking a hot shower. Although the men hadn't succeeded in their repulsive attempt to violate her, she still felt filthy.

Naruto noticed her discomfort and quickened his pace even more until they were almost a blur. "I'll have to check you as soon as we get back to the mansion."

Hinata's eyes snapped open and she looked up at him with a mixture of embarrassment and alarm. "W-what do you mean by that?"

"It's obvious that you sustained a few bruises, and I want to make sure that there's nothing more serious," he responded coolly, enjoying her flustered state.

The young woman's cheeks turned a dark shade of pink and she shook her head vehemently. "N-no, I'm fine! I-I can check myself and-"

"No need to be so shy, Hinata-chan" Naruto quipped. "I think it's better to get to know each other on a more personal level, don't you?"

"I d-don't need y-you to check my b-body," Hinata stammered, now trying to squirm out of his grasp. "A-and untie my wrists!"

He chuckled and held her petite body to his chest a bit more securely. "I'll get to it."

"N-Naruto-kun," she squeaked in protest, realizing that they were already closing in on the mansion. "I-I can have S-Sakura check me and-"

"Too late, we're here," he interrupted as they reached the front entrance of the staggering mansion. "Let's get you to your bedroom so I can take a look at you."

"Now w-wait-a-minute!" Hinata looked around the main entryway of the manor, hoping that one of the servants could come to her rescue. To her luck, all ten of of the household staff members were present right where she and Naruto were. However, to her dismay, she noticed something that was a bit 'off' about them. "Are they drunk?"

Sai was sitting on one of the couches, his blazer unbuttoned and his tie nowhere to be seen. Ino was straddling his hips, her lips ravaging his in an intense make-out session. Pain was seated leisurely on another one of the sofas, a drink in his hand as Konan was dozing off against him. Her head was on his shoulder, and her legs were slung across his lap.

"I really wish I could meet Sasuke-kuuun," Sakura slurred longingly, looking at a picture of the younger Uchiha brother on her cell phone. "But he would never go for a maid... Ugh, life is so cruel sometimes..."

Tenten nodded in agreement, patting her back sympathetically. "How d'ya think I feel? Every time I see Neji, I turn into such a freakin' klutz."

"Men who don't value you for who you are, aren't worth your time, un," Deidara lectured, swaying a bit from the alcohol in his system. "Or so they say..."

"And if all else fails, show 'em yer boobs!" Hidan chimed in, raising a shot glass over his head as he nearly fell over. "Shiiiit, that was close... Almost spilled this on my nice, clean shirt..."

Sasori rolled his eyes, taking a swig from his mug. "You're not wearing a shirt..."

"I'm not?" Hidan blinked in confusion, then looked down at himself. "Holy fucking shit! Some motherfucker stole my shirt!" He furiously looked around, then spotted the table that was covered in an array of take-out food that they'd ordered. He immediately forgot what he'd been complaining about. "Damn, that looks good..." he mumbled, shuffling over towards the table.

Tobi gasped, toppling onto the floor and rolled over onto his back. "Wow! The ceiling looks awesome from this angle! It's so preeetty and colorful! Like Hidan-sempai's stolen shirt!"

Naruto chuckled at Hinata's stunned expression, then briskly headed towards the staircase. "They all seem to be busy, so it looks like I will be the one to take a look at you. That shirt is going to have to come off, just so you know."

"No! I'm fine!" she protested, helpless as he carried her up the stairs to get to the bedroom. No matter how much she twisted and squirmed in his grasp, Naruto held tight her to and continued to carry her with the greatest of ease.

"Awww, Naruto-sempai and Hinata-sama get along soooo wellll!" Tobi exclaimed happily, now rolling sideways on the floor as the others nodded in agreement.

**And that wraps up this stupid chapter. Stay tuned for the next stupid chapter. Which will be out in less than a week if I get motivated. Keep those reviews coming, and I promise to get it done as soon a possible. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Ugh, my head hurts like a bitch, so sorry if there are more typos or grammatical errors than usual. But I wanted to post the chapter instead of waiting. Please read and review and I'll give you a cookie :3**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 6**

Naruto reached Hinata's bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him as the girl struggled in his arms. "Wouldn't want anyone walking in and seeing us, right?"

"Th-this isn't necessary," Hinata protested, her face bright red as she gazed up at him nervously. "Just a few bruises and-"

"Better to be safe than sorry," the blond interjected, setting her down. His index finger slipped under the rope that bound her wrists together and he gave it a brief yank, snapping it. He removed it for her, then quickly grabbed hold of her hand when she tried to scurry away. "And where do you think you're going?"

The young woman hugged herself in a modest manner. "I-I told you that I don't need you t-to check anything."

"Ah, c'mon. It'll only take a minute. I promise that I don't bite," he added with a flirtatious undertone.

Hinata sighed in defeat, knowing that this was a battle that she couldn't win. He would keep pestering her until she gave in, so she might as well get it over and done with. She reluctantly pulled her tank top off, her cheeks hot with humiliation, revealing the lacy white bra underneath.

"P-please make it quick," she mumbled, her body trembling slightly.

With a smirk, Naruto brought his hands up to her sides, gently running his fingers over her smooth skin as he felt for any possible injuries. There was a bruise near her ribs and he lightly skimmed over the area, causing Hinata to wince. Luckily, nothing felt broken. Naruto moved his hand downward, over Hinata's flat stomach, well aware of how she was shaking.

"A-are you done?" Hinata squeaked out, shyly glancing up at him.

He seemed not to hear her, as he did not respond and continued to stare down at her voluptuous figure. His fingers ran over the area right below her bra, making Hinata flinch uncomfortably, and he had to physically restrain himself from throwing her down onto the bed and ripping that bra off. And not just to check for wounds, either. Naruto managed to resist that urge, shutting out the dirty thoughts as Hinata forced herself to keep still. However, as soon as his fingertip brushed over the scar on Hinata's torso, the girl abruptly moved away, her angelic face filled with shame. He could tell how much she really despised having it, as well as the one on her back.

"Your ribs are bruised, but other than that, you seem to be fine," Naruto stated with an amused half-smile as Hinata hugged herself again.

"I told you I was fine...but thank you," she murmured softly. "I-I'm going to take a shower, so feel free to do whatever you want."

He chuckled, his blue eyes scanning over her well-endowed chest. "Whatever I want? Does that include keeping an eye on you while you shower?"

Realizing what he was insinuating, Hinata blushed all over again and shook her head. "You know w-what I mean. I'll be out in a little while." With that, she rushed into her bathroom and shut the door, making sure to engage the lock.

Twenty minutes later, she emerged from her bedroom, feeling a little better. She wore a thin, white, short-sleeved V-necked top, a pink skirt that came halfway down her thighs, and white knee-high socks. A white choker was fastened around her neck to conceal Naruto's mark. To her surprise, Naruto was waiting for her. He had apparently showered as well, and wore only a pair of black sweatpants, leaving him shirtless and barefoot. His tanned, muscular chest glistened slightly from the drops of water that he hadn't entirely dried off. Hinata tore her gaze away from his bare torso, her lavender eyes looking down at the floor instead.

"Since it's still early, and we honestly have nothing else going on today, why don't we join the others downstairs?" He suggested, the smirk never leaving his handsome face.

"I don't drink," Hinata stated, tucking a lock of damp hair behind her ear.

Naruto rolled his eyes and took her hand into his, tugging her along as he headed towards the staircase. "You had a shitty day, Hinata-chan, so you deserve to unwind a bit."

She blinked in confusion, her cheeks dusted with a delicate shade of pink as he pulled her. "N-no, I really don't think that I should. It's not proper and-"

"Ah, it'll be fun," he cut her off, enjoying the stunned look on her face. She was just too cute. "Besides, it's not like we're going to get completely wasted like the others."

"I don't know about this," Hinata said with a sigh. "I'm not much a drinker..."

Naruto snickered. "All the more reason to let loose and have a few."

"Do you drink?" she questioned, curious.

"I can," he said dismissively. "Now let's go."

Sai and Ino had since stopped making out, each of them giggling stupidly as they sipped from their cups.

"Shaddup, ya stupid drunk!" Hidan snarled, then took a swig from his mug.

Deidara quirked an eyebrow, ready to take another shot. "Who the hell are ya talking to, un?"

Hidan blinked, then shrugged. "I don't remember..."

"Was it the fairy? It keeps flying around the room and stealing the snacks! Ah, there it goes again!" Tobi loudly exclaimed as he began to chase around the imaginary creature. "Waaaaiiiitttt! I'm sure Deidara-sempai will cook you something good!"

"I ain't cooking shit, un," Deidara lazily responded, his head lolled over the back of a chair as the world spun around him. "No. Freakin'. Way."

Pain poured another drink for himself and Konan, whom had woken up from her sleepy state. "With all the food we ordered, there's no need to cook."

"Heyyy! Hinata! Are you gonna join us for some drinks?" Tenten called out upon noticing her friend being dragged down the stairs by Naruto. "You sooo should!"

"Definitely!" Sakura agreed, clumsily scrambling up from her seat as she rushed over to the bar area. "You never drink, so it's about damn time. So c'mon!"

Hinata didn't seem too thrilled at the idea. "I really shouldn't..."

"But you know you want to," Hidan teased, throwing back a shot of whiskey. "Good shit right here. Good. Fucking. Shit."

Despite her protests, Hinata found herself sandwiched between Naruto and Tenten on one of the couches, with an assortment of alcoholic beverages in front of her. After trying and failing to decline multiple times, she finally gave up and took one of the drinks, while Naruto seemed to busy himself with array of shots.

"FAIRY!" Tobi yelled, running around the room with a butterfly net. "COOOOME BAAAACK HEEEEREEE!"

Two hours later, there was one mug and three shot glasses in front of her, all of them empty. Likewise, there were six empty mugs and twenty shot glasses in front of Naruto, much to everyone's shock.

"Dude, are you even fuckin' drunk?" Hidan slurred, supporting himself against the wall.

The blond male thought for a moment. "I think I'm starting to feel something."

"That's crazy," Sai mused, he and Ino holding each other up. "And here I thought Hidan was a raging alcoholic."

"Hey! I resent that," the groundskeeper snapped.

"Do you deny it?" Sasori asked.

Hidan shook his head. "Nope," he stated, pouring himself another shot.

"Damn, you should have alcohol poisoning by now," Ino said, gaping at Naruto with shock. "That is some hardcore drinkin' right there..."

"Nah, usually takes about fifteen or more shots," Sakura replied, seeming to forget that he'd had twenty. "It's different for every person," she added with a whisper, as if it was a great secret.

Pain shrugged, raising his glass to his lips. "Differs between person to person."

"Still, that's freaking crazy, especially since he drank all that in, like, two hours, un," Deidara pointed out. "Even Hidan gets shit-faced by then."

"Guess I have a high tolerance," Naruto said with a dismissive shrug. He noticed that the alcohol had taken its toll on Hinata, whom was leaning up against him, hugging his arm. "Are you alright, Hinata-chan? You look a little out of it."

"Hm?" The young woman looked up at him, then smiled and cuddled closer to him. "I'm fine, Naruto-kuuun..."

Tobi dove behind the couch, trying to do a stealthy roll. Instead, he ended up crashing into the nearby lamp, somehow getting caught in his net. "AAAAH! IT'S GOT MEEEE!"

"You are one stupid, yet really entertaining motherfucker," Hidan said with a snort of laughter as Tenten and Konan tried to assist the panicking masked man.

"I know it's still kinda early, but I'm done for the night," Sakura said with a yawn. "I drank waaay too much..."

"No such thing," Ino said with a laugh, hanging onto Sai. "Or is there?"

The butler let out an uncharacteristic goofy smile. "Who knows? But bed sounds good. Let's go, Ino!" With that, he tugged the blonde maid towards the end of the house where the servants' quarters were.

Pain and Konan followed suit, as well as Sakura and Tenten. However, it appeared that Hidan, Sasori, Deidara, and Tobi weren't quite ready to call it a night, and continued to pour drinks.

"Want any more?" Sasori asked Naruto, then glanced over at Hinata. "She looks like she's had enough."

"I'm all set," Naruto responded, gently helping Hinata get up off the couch and wrap an arm around her. "I'm going to bring her to her room, seeing how she looks like she's about to pass out."

Hinata pouted cutely. "I'm fine. I-I'm not going to pass out."

"Really?" he teased, guiding her towards the staircase to lead her up to her bedroom. "You were using me as a pillow."

"Well...you're really comfy," she claimed as they ascended the steps.

Naruto chuckled softly. "Am I?" His arm remained around her waist, making sure she didn't lose her balance.

"Yes, you are," she stated matter-of-factly.

Once they'd reached her room, Naruto led Hinata over towards the bed, where he proceeded to gently lay the girl down. He brushed some hair out of her face, his body hovering over hers.

"Thank you, Naruto-kuuun. You're so nice to me." With that, she reached up and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him down on top of her so she could hug him. "So very, very nice," she added, planting a kiss on his cheek. To say that the alcohol had affected her was an understatement.

Naruto was caught off guard from her sudden affection, though he didn't dislike it. Not at all. He shifted himself so that he wasn't crushing the poor girl underneath his weight, using his knees to keep himself propped up. Hinata was gazing up at him sweetly, a rare smile forming on her pink lips. This was the first time he'd ever actually seen her look genuinely happy and he couldn't resist leaning down to kiss those luscious lips. He was mildly surprised when Hinata didn't stop him, instead allowing him to continue. She moaned softly into the kiss, reaching up to run her fingers through his blonde hair. Naruto nibbled on her lower lip, his toned chest pressed against her breasts. He snaked his arms around her, deepening the kiss as he felt his desire increase. It was getting more and more difficult to stop himself, and he honestly didn't want to.

Hinata let out a content sigh when his lips moved downward towards her neck, and she was vaguely aware of something hard poking against her thigh. Curious, she reached down and touched whatever it was, causing Naruto to buck.

"Fuck," he hissed, feeling Hinata's fingers stroking him through his pants. Although extremely pleasurable, it was torture at the same time, and he groaned when she gave it a squeeze.

"Do you like this?" Hinata murmured, giving him a playful nip on the earlobe.

Naruto smirked, sliding his hand under her thin top to grab hold of her breast. "What do you think?" He pinched her nipple between his thumb and index finger, causing the young woman to squirm under him.

"N-Naruto-kun," she gasped, unconsciously moving her hand and slipping it down the front of his sweatpants, only to discover that he was not wearing underwear.

"Hinata..." Losing control, he crashed his lips against her, kissing her passionately and aggressively. He wanted nothing more than to tear her clothes off and ravage her sweet, delectable body. Hinata was the epitome of innocence, and he wanted to be the one who stole it all away. _Not yet._ Naruto growled, wanting to ignore that annoying little voice in his head. He didn't want to wait, he wanted her _now_. His tongue snaked into her mouth, and he removed his hand from under her top, cupping it beneath her head as his lust increased.

Hinata's delicate fingers touched his manhood, lightly stroking the rigid organ. Now it was Naruto's turn to squirm a bit, and he let out a groan as she continued to torment him. She squeezed his pulsating cock, then teased it with soft, feathery strokes that almost made him go mad.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked with an amused undertone. "Are you trying to get me to do something to you?"

Hinata looked up at him innocently, and he wasn't sure if she was messing with him, or just simply didn't realize what she was doing. "What do you mean?" She tickled his sensitive tip, causing his eye to twitch a bit.

"Dammit," Naruto muttered, mentally fighting with himself. The girl wasn't in her right state of mind due to the alcohol, so it wouldn't be right to take advantage of her. Sure, he was a demon, but he had _some_ morals in that twisted mind of his. And if he was going to take her innocence, he wanted her in to be fully aware and willing. With an irritated sigh, he gently took her hand and removed it from his pants, then sat up. He'd never been the greatest at restraining himself, and Hinata was sure as hell putting him to the test.

"Are you mad at me?" Hinata asked, staring up at him tearfully. "I-I'm sorry..."

"Don't be," he replied with a chuckle, pulling the blankets up to cover her. How could he be mad at her? The adorable expression made it impossible, though in all reality, it was his fault for coercing her to drink in the first place. "I won't take you tonight, but you'll be all mine eventually. In the meantime, I need you to stay pure. Your soul will taste that much better." With that, he leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, Hinata-chan." He really wanted to murder someone.

She snuggled against her pillow with a content smile. "Goodnight, Naruto-kun. See you in the morning."

Naruto left the room and and closed the door, letting out a frustrated growl. His eyes had turned blood-red, and it took him several seconds to calm himself down. He could almost feel the softness of her breast in his hand, her porcelain skin smooth and flawless. It would be hell waiting to take her, but he knew that it would be worth it in the end. A half-smile found its way on his lips and his eyes gradually reverted back to a deep shade of blue. Hinata would be his eventually. He would just have to be patient until then.

**A little bit of lemony goodness ;) There will be more in the future. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter, so please review and the next one will be out by the middle of next week most likely.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Next chapter is finally up. Thanks for the reviews so far; they are keeping me motivated :p On that note, please read and and review, and the next chapter will be out in the somewhat near future.**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 7**

"Ugh, my head is freaking killing me," Sakura complained as she begrudgingly dusted off one of the paintings on the wall. "I think I had a little too much to drink last night."

Tenten nodded in agreement, feeling as though a car alarm was blaring in her ear. "I know what you mean..."

The pinkette groaned and leaned back against the wall, her eyes sensitive to the light. "Did Ino tell you what happened?"

"Yeah, she and Sai woke up in bed together," Tenten responded with a snicker. "She claimed that they didn't do anything, since their clothes were still on. But with the way they were practically devouring each other on the couch makes me think otherwise."

"I'm standing right here, ya know," Ino called from the down the hallway. She was wearing a pair of sunglasses, as she, too, was hungover. "And we didn't do anything like that. We made out on his bed and then passed out."

"Well, at least now you don't have to admit that you like each other, since you gave all of us enough proof last night," Sakura teased.

Ino gave her the finger, then turned her attention to the brunette. "By the way, Tenten, I heard that Neji is coming over today."

Tenten dropped the bottle of cleaner that she was holding, causing the others to chuckle with amusement. Embarrassed, she quickly picked the cleaner up and sprayed the railing that connected to the staircase. "I-is he?"

"He sure is," Sakura replied.

"Now remember, if you want to get his attention, just bend over in front of him seductively. If you want to really sell the performance, I'd suggest you look over your shoulder at him whilst biting your lower lip," Ino remarked with a laugh.

Tenten sighed. "With my luck, I'd end up falling over and giving myself a bloody lip."

Sakura shrugged nonchalantly. "Gotta start somewhere."

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata frowned at his closed door, surprised that he hadn't emerged from his bedroom yet. She had no recollection of what had happened between the two of them last night. "Naruto-kun? Are you awake?" Although Naruto did not actually need to sleep, being a demon and all, he'd occasionally doze off every so often if he had nothing important going on. Maybe today had been one of those days that he'd decided to take a nap.

Hinata turned the knob, somewhat confused. However, as soon as she opened the door, she was greeted with the sight of a stark naked Naruto. Her lavender eyes went wide as she inadvertently scanned over his toned buttocks, and her face turned bright red.

Noticing the stunned girl, the male smirked and turned so that he was facing her, exposing himself to her completely. "Good morning, Hinata-chan. You look lovely today," he added, giving her an approving stare of his own.

Hinata was wearing a tight, white button-up blouse that she kept un-tucked over a her red plaid skirt, as well as an open black blazer. A red plaid tie was fastened around the collar of her top, and her legs were covered by sheer black stockings. White flats completed her attire, along with a black choker around her neck. She'd been teased a few times by the girls, whom had asked if she'd started wearing those to conceal any hickeys that Naruto might have been leaving on her.

"I can tell that you like what you're seeing, too," Naruto added with a devious grin.

Tearing her eyes away from his nude body, she backed out of the room with humiliation. "S-sorry!" With that, she slammed the door closed, her head reeling from what she had seen. She'd seen _everything_.

Naruto emerged a few minutes later, an amused expression on his face as he gazed down at a still-flustered Hinata. He was now fully dressed, wearing black pants and a gray button-up shirt. "Hey," he remarked casually, as it nothing had happened.

"Please, n-next time tell me if you aren't d-decent," Hinata stammered awkwardly.

"I must've looked pretty decent to you, considering that you stared at me for a few seconds," Naruto teased, causing the girl to blush all over again. "But it's fine, I don't mind," he added with a flirtatious undertone.

Trying to recompose herself, Hinata turned and headed down the hall. "Anyway, my cousin will be here soon, so I need to be prepared to meet him."

"You make it sound as though you have an appointment with him," the blonde deadpanned as he walked along with her. "I wonder if he'll be a bit more polite to me this time around."

"Don't take it personally," she replied, glancing over at him as they approached the staircase. "Neji-nissan doesn't really trust anyone, especially considering what happened last month. He's finally used to all of the household staff, but since he's only met you recently, he's more wary. He'll come around eventually. Until then, please don't take any of his rude comments to heart."

Naruto smirked. "Do I ever?"

The two of them descended the staircase, reaching the bottom just as the front doors of the mansion opened. A young man with long brown hair and pale lavender eyes entered the foyer, his expression stoic. He was dressed in a dark gray suit with a white shirt underneath.

"Hello, Neji-nissan," Hinata greeted him warmly. "How are you today?"

Neji looked at Naruto for a brief moment, then turned his attention to his cousin. "I'm well. And yourself?"

"I'm doing fine," she replied, then gestured for him to follow her towards the couches. "I am meeting with a private investigator today."

"I see," Neji mused. "Who is he?"

Naruto snorted with disdain as he plopped his ass down onto the couch beside Hinata, whom was sitting between him and her cousin. "Someone that Hidan recommended."

"What?" Neji looked Hinata with the utmost shock. "You're going through someone that _Hidan_ recommended? The man is a complete idiot."

"Hidan is not an idiot," she calmly retorted, crossing one of her legs over the other. "He knows someone who might actually be helpful with the investigation. But first, I need to convince him to work for me. Which I assure you won't be much of a challenge."

Neji frowned, curious as to what she meant. "How do you figure?"

"According to what Hidan told me, the man is very fond of money. All I have to do is pay him a nice little figure for his efforts," Hinata explained as if it were the most simple thing in the world. "He'll look into any potential suspects and do some research with his findings."

"Are you sure about this? I don't see Hidan having many competent connections like that," he remarked. "But I suppose if you think it would be best to hire someone like that, I won't try to tell you otherwise." He paused for a moment before continuing, not noticing Tenten timidly shuffling into the room with a tea tray. "Have you given any thought to my suggestion?"

Hinata looked at him and held his gaze firmly. "I refuse to go into hiding. I see no point of it."

"But there's the chance that someone will try to assassinate you, and going into hiding is your best option. You'll be safe and-"

"No," she cut him off, not allowing him to finish. "I will never be safe. Even if I do go into hiding. They'll track me down eventually, and I'm not going to spend the rest of my life running away. No matter what I do, I will not be safe unless all potential threats have been eradicated."

Neji sighed, noticing the smug look on Naruto's face. He didn't like his cousin's new bodyguard, and had never hidden his displeasure towards him. Something about the blonde male made him uneasy, yet he couldn't put his finger on it. Tenten placed the tea tray on the nearby coffee table, her hand shaking as she picked up one of the china teacups. Neji noticed her now, his pale eyes watching her movements as she held the cup of tea out for him to take.

"H-here you go Neji-sama," she murmured, her gaze on the floor as she felt his gaze on her. "I hope you like-" The cup suddenly fell from her grasp, sending the beverage all over Neji's clean, tailored suit. She felt her heart plummet and had to force herself not to run away from the stunned man. "I-I'm so sorry, Neji-sama! Here, I'll help clean you up!" She grabbed a cloth napkin from the tray and began to desperately dab at Neji's wet, stained shirt.

Naruto barely contained his snickers while Hinata smiled and sweat-dropped, watching as her best friend tried to clean off Neji. "Accidents happen, Tenten. Besides, there are clean clothes for Neji-nissan to change in to, so don't worry about it."

"I'm so sorry," Tenten repeated, her voice cracking as she fruitlessly tried to blot the moisture up out of Neji's suit. She had completely humiliated herself in front of her crush, and had gotten him messy in the process as well.

However, to her surprise, Neji calmly rose to his feet. "It's not a big deal. As Hinata said, accidents happen. If you could just find me something else to wear, I'd appreciate it. I'll go with you."

"O-of course," the brunette maid sputtered out, and began to lead him towards one of the guest rooms, where Neji had left some clothing a few months back. "Again, I'm very sorry about my clumsiness," she apologized, unable to even look at him.

"Don't worry about it. Besides, the tea wasn't hot, so it didn't burn me or anything," he assured her. He couldn't help but notice just how short her skirt was, her brisk pace making it more obvious as she strode ahead of him.

"It wasn't?" Part of Tenten was glad that the tea hadn't been hot, or else Neji could've been burned quite badly. On the other hand, it just showcased the fact that she couldn't even think straight enough to boil water properly when he was around. _Why do I have to be such an idiot in front of him?_

Neji followed her out of the room, a small smile finding its way on his lips. "It's fine. So you can relax, Tenten."

The girl felt her heart skip a beat when he uttered her name, liking the way it sounded when he said it. Feeling a bit more at ease, she escorted him to the designated room, leaving Naruto and Hinata alone in the foyer.

"That's strange, he didn't insult me at all today. I was almost looking forward to that," he said with a mock sigh, as if his fun had been ruined.

"I'm more surprised that he actually thought I'd change my mind about that whole 'going into hiding' idea of his," Hinata said as she shook her head in disbelief. "I'll never agree to that plan. I know that he's worried about my safety, but I'd rather die than spend the rest of my life hiding like a coward. I want to stay here and make sure that our contract is carried out completely," she added in an eerily determined voice. "I won't stop until I find whoever was responsible for everything. And if I die, I'm taking them with me..."

Naruto grinned and wrapped an arm around her. "Well, not before I get my payment at least." His finger brushed over the concealed mark on her neck, as if reminding her.

"You will," she assured him, surprisingly calm as he touched her. "I gave you my word."

"And I gave you mine," he responded, then glanced at the door. "Anyway, I'm curious to see what this private investigator is like."

A sudden knock banged outside the front doors, and Sai came out of nowhere to quickly answer it, while Hinata glanced at Naruto. "Looks like you're about to get your answer."

The man that Hidan had recommended to Hinata was a tall man who went by the name of Kakuzu, providing no last name. He appeared to be somewhere in his forties, though it was hard to tell his exact age due to the fact that he kept the lower part of his face hidden behind a black mask. His hair was a dark brown shade and went down to his shoulders. He had the most unusual eyes that Hinata had ever seen, as the irises were a vibrant green and his sclerae were red. His outfit consisted of black suit with a dark brown overcoat. And, as Hidan had warned Hinata, he was very upfront with his requests.

"I take my payments strictly in cash," Kakuzu informed Hinata once they had situated themselves in her office. "And I require a deposit from any potential clients to ensure that my work does not go unrewarded."

"That will not be a problem, sir." Hinata handed him a stack of bills bound together with a band. "Will this be enough to start you off with?"

Kakuzu stared at the wad of cash with a hint of surprise, then chuckled and stuffed the money into his coat. "I can tell that you're really interested in my services. I don't know what Hidan told you about me, but I'm not exactly 'legal', and if you try to pull anything, I will not take kindly to it." He seemed to be directing that comment at Naruto, whom was standing a few feet away from Hinata.

"You will not have to worry about that," Hinata told him, folding her hands together on her desk. "I am willing to pay you whatever you request, and although I don't expect anything to happen overnight, I hope that this will at least put me on the right track to finding out the answers I'm looking for."

"Then we're on the same page. I'll go through whatever evidence and files you have regarding the case, and then from there compose a list of potential suspects based on what I research about your company's background," he told her. "We'll go from there."

Hinata rose from her seat and reached across the desk to shake the man's hand. "Thank you for your time, sir. And if anything comes up, please do not hesitate to notify me."

As soon as Kakuzu was gone, Naruto smirked down at Hinata with amusement. "Well, he was a lovely person. He must be the life of the party wherever he goes."

"As long as he does his job, I don't care what kind of person he is," she replied. "My only concern is finding whoever was responsible for everything and making sure they are eliminated."

"That's what I like to hear."

**Okay, that ends this boring-ass chapter. Next chapter will be out within a week. Review and I shall send you a stuffed blue giraffe.  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Next chapter is finally ready. Hope you like it :3**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 8**

"Again, sorry about your clothes," Tenten apologized for the millionth time as Neji shrugged on a clean blazer.

"I already told you that it's fine. Don't worry about it." Neji glanced down at his watch to check the time. "I need to get going, and I honestly don't feel like searching the entire mansion to say 'goodbye' to my cousin. When you see her, can you tell her that I had to leave?"

Tenten went to grab the small pile of tea-stained clothes off the floor. "I-I will."

By bending down to collect the clothing, she inadvertently gave Neji a glimpse of the black panties she wore underneath. Neji's eyes widened a bit at the sexy little peek, but before he even realized it, Tenten had straightened back up. _Lace_. Recomposing himself, he adjusted his shirt collar and tried to pretend like he hadn't seen anything. "Anyway, I'll see you later, Tenten. Have a nice day."

"You, too," the maid politely responded as she flashed him a smile. "Goodbye, Neji-sama."

Neji took a step towards the doorway, then paused for a moment. He glanced back at her over his shoulder and offered her a brief smile of his own. "Just call me 'Neji'." With that, he was gone, leaving Tenten alone in the guest room.

Tenten's heart had skipped a beat when he'd said that to her. She couldn't help but wonder if he liked her, and within seconds, she had several crazy scenarios playing in her head. On that note, she rushed off to tell the girls about what had happened with her encounter with Neji. It wasn't as exciting as Ino's make-out session with Sai, but it was a start.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

"That friend of yours seems to be a bit on the shady side," Naruto mused as he sat on a stool in the kitchen, watching as Deidara prepared a large pot of ramen for him.

Hidan shrugged carelessly, once again slacking off as he lazily leaned back against the wall. "So?"

"Didn't say it was a bad thing," Naruto added. "Probably better that way."

"Yeah, he's a greedy motherfucker, but he's good at what he does," the groundskeeper replied, then looked over at the chef. "Hey, when the fuck is lunch ready?"

Deidara threw him an insulted look, stirring the pot of ramen. "What do I look like, your wife? Make your own damn lunch, un."

"Why would I do that? There's a bitch named Deidara-chan that is the fucking cook, last time I checked," Hidan quipped, only to get smacked in the forehead by a thrown spatula. "Ow! Hey, that fucking hurt!"

"Serves you right," Deidara snapped, then shook his head in annoyance. "I swear, you're such a pain in the ass, un..."

Rubbing his sore noggin, Hidan rolled his eyes and huffed indignantly. "Gee, pardon me," he drawled sarcastically. "I didn't realize that you were Naruto's bitch, seeing how you're going through the trouble of making food for him. What, are you sucking his dick, too?"

"No, I'm just not an asshole to him," Naruto scoffed.

"Well, fuck you, too," the silver-haired male deadpanned.

Naruto smirked slyly. "Besides, if anyone's sucking my dick, it sure as hell isn't Deidara."

"Speaking of which, how are things with you and Hinata-sama?" Deidara questioned as he added some seasonings to the boiling pot. "You two seem pretty close, un."

"Well, I am her bodyguard, so technically it's my job to be close to her," he pointed out flatly.

Hidan snickered. "Yeah, okay. We get that part. But why is it that every time I see the two of you together, you look like you're visually raping her? Then again, I can't say I blame you. She is a fine piece of ass."

"As if you have a chance with her," Deidara said with a laugh.

"Screw you. I'm not looking to hook up with her. She's just like a little sister to me," Hidan informed him.

The chef snorted. "Sure. If you think of her as a little sister, then it's pretty creepy of you to constantly mention the size of her rack, un."

"Okay, fine. Maybe I don't see her as a little sister like that. And she does have really nice tits," he added. "But I have no intentions of trying to get her into bed with me."

"Lies, all lies, un." Deidara stirred the pot again.

Naruto's mouth watered as the savory aroma of ramen filled the air. He was absolutely ravenous, and the waiting was driving him mad. With the lack of souls he'd devoured lately, his appetite had increased substantially, and he found himself being forced to eat more human food. He really needed to go out soon and find some random person so that he could at least stave off that hunger for a bit longer. Better than losing control and taking Hinata's soul too early. It was then that he couldn't figure out if his mouth was watering due to the ramen or the thought of consuming Hinata's sweet soul.

"Seriously, fuck off," Hidan grumbled, tiredly looking at the clock. "Now make me food."

"I already told you to make your own food, un."

"Ah, come on. I'll buy you a package of modeling clay if you make me something. Or how about this instead; I'll finish cooking that soup or whatever if you grill me some steak."

"I'd prefer it if you didn't touch my ramen," Naruto spoke up before Deidara could respond. "No offense, but I doubt you have the culinary skills to even boil a pot of water correctly, let alone properly cook ramen. Leave it to the professional."

Hidan grinned smugly. "Is that a challenge? Because I'll show you just how well I can cook."

"I'd rather not get sick and puke my brains out," Naruto replied as he rose to his feet. "Stick with your day job by killing the lawn with herbicide. I think you missed a patch from the last time. Might as well make the entire area look like crap, right? Anyway, I'm going to check up on Hinata and then I'll be back." With that, he strode out of the kitchen, leaving behind a furious Hidan and an amused Deidara.

"That cocky little bastard," the silver-haired male growled. "I really don't like his fucking attitude. Who the hell does he think he is?"

"Either way, he put you in your place, un. That was pretty funny," the chef chuckled.

Hidan thought for a moment, before an evil smile spread across his face. "Oh, if you thought that was funny, you'll find this hilarious."

Puzzled, Deidara watched as Hidan began to rummage through the cabinets. "What are you doing, un?"

Snickering sadistically, Hidan held up a bottle of hot sauce and a small tub of Miralax. "He said that he didn't want to puke his brains out. And he won't. But it'll get my point across."

"Oh, don't even tell me that you're going to..." The blonde watched with shock as Hidan nonchalantly poured the hot sauce into the pot of ramen, then dumped a generous amount of the powdered laxative. "Are you freaking kidding me? Dude, he's going to think that I did it, un."

"Eh, it'll be fine. I'll tell him that I did it as soon as he's done eating so that you won't get the backlash. I don't give a shit, that fucker needs to learn a lesson. And he'll be learning from the toilet," Hidan added once he was finished, then quickly gave the ramen a stir.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

Hinata read over the invitation for a third time, then sighed and set it down on her desk. She had been hoping to avoid any extravagant gatherings, as she was not yet comfortable enough to be surrounded by such large crowds. However, she knew that the company's reputation would begin to suffer if she didn't keep up appearances with the public. It would be rude of her to decline the invite, and maybe if she was lucky, she'd find one or two clues that might help her with her search. Not only that, but she knew the hosts of the gathering too well to be able to easily come up with an excuse as to not attend.

"The Uchiha brothers," she murmured to herself.

Itachi and Sasuke had taken over their father's company three years ago, when their parents were killed in a car crash. As the elder brother, Itachi had a bit more control over the company and how it was run. Although the share was split evenly fifty-fifty, Itachi retained the higher influence, as oppose to his younger brother. Their parents had thrown a gala every year for the past decade leading up to their deaths, and their children decided to keep the tradition by continuing these exclusive parties. This would be the first year that Hinata attended the gala alone.

_No, not alone._ She'd bring along Naruto and maybe a few of the other servants as well. Sakura would most likely want to come along, considering that she'd get the chance to meet Sasuke. Pain and Konan were good to have around, and they'd utilize their time by trying to investigate the Uchihas' mansion. She wondered if Neji would like to attend, then couldn't help but add Tenten into the equation as well. Although she didn't think Itachi and Sasuke had anything to do with her family's deaths, it wouldn't hurt to be on her guard. Even if they weren't targeting her, someone else at the party might and she wasn't about to take any chances.

Naruto had checked up on her about a half hour ago, and she hadn't mentioned it to him at the time. He was most likely stuffing his face with ramen, and she wondered how many bowls he'd polish off today.

"Might as well go tell him about this," she mused as she rose from her seat and exited her study.

However, before she located her demonic bodyguard, she passed through the foyer and found Sakura polishing the lower railing to the staircase. The pinkette had recovered from her hangover that morning, and was now able to function to her full capability.

"Sakura, I would like to ask you something," Hinata spoke as she walked over towards the maid, who looked at her with curiosity. "I received an invitation to the gala that the Uchiha brothers are hosting. I would feel more comfortable if I brought you along and-"

"Oh my god! Of course I would like to go!" Sakura squealed with delight. "Is it really okay if I do?"

"Itachi and Sasuke won't mind at all," the indigo-haired girl replied with brief smile. "Besides, I know that you've been wanting to meet Sasuke for awhile now, so there's your opportunity. The party is tomorrow night, so just make sure you're ready. If anyone asks, you do not work for me. We're friends anyway, so it won't look suspicious if we know each other."

"Oh, can Sai and I come, too?" Ino asked, overhearing the conversation. "We haven't gone out in ages, and that sounds like a lot of fun. Please, Hinata?"

"Of course," Hinata replied nonchalantly. "As I told Sakura, you do not work for me. We are either friends or acquaintances. I don't want anyone know how close to me you are, as that may put you in danger as well."

The two maids nodded in understanding, then excitedly began to discuss what they were going to wear. Hinata left them alone in search of Naruto, passing by Pain and Konan in the process. They readily accepted the offer, knowing that it would be their chance to infiltrate the Uchiha residence and possibly find out if they had any connections or information regarding the massacre a month back.

Hinata eventually reached the kitchen, as she'd not found Naruto in the dining room. To her surprise, Hidan was doubled over laughing, while Deidara looked as though he had a horrible migraine.

"Excuse me, but have either of you seen Naruto?" she asked them.

"Oh, we've seen him," Hidan snickered after he'd calmed down a bit. "He actually just rushed outta here a few minutes ago. He wasn't looking so good."

Deidara groaned and gave him a dirty look. "He's going to kill you when he comes back."

Hinata gazed at Hidan questioningly, suspicious. "What happened?"

"The idiot over there decided that he wanted to teach Naruto a lesson, so he spiked his ramen while he was checking up on you, un." Deidara shook his head, still pondering why Hidan had done something so stupid.

"What exactly did you do to his food, Hidan?" The young woman asked, her lavender eyes locked on Hidan's purple ones.

Chuckling, the groundskeeper crossed his arms over his bare chest. "I put half a bottle of hot sauce and some Miralax in the pot of ramen. And that fucker ate six bowls of it. He never even realized what hit him and then he rushed out of the kitchen a few minutes ago, swearing. That shit worked fast."

Hinata frowned, taking in what Hidan had informed her. Were demons susceptible to getting sick from laxatives? Then again, with Naruto in a human form, his body probably functioned as that of a typical adult male. If he wasn't out collecting souls, he seemed to stave off hunger with his constant ramen binges.

"Please refrain from doing anything like that again, Hidan," she said sternly. "I can't allow you to pull childish pranks on one another, and what you did was rather cruel. Even for you."

"Heh, alright," he agreed, still laughing about it. "He deserved it, but I won't do it again."

"Also, I was wondering if you could do me a favor." Hinata glanced out the window for a brief moment, then turned her attention back to Hidan. "Since the weather is warming up a bit, could you please plant some white roses over by the memorials? I've already bought the seeds and left them in the shed. No rush, just whenever you get the chance, I'd appreciate it.

Picking up on the hint of sorrow in her voice, he nodded. "Yeah, I'll take care of it right now. It won't take me long at all. I'll uh...make sure it looks nice." Although he was typically bad-tempered and slothful, Hidan never complained whenever Hinata had a request, especially considering how little she asked from him.

"Thank you," she replied, then turned to leave.

"Lunch will be ready in about twenty minutes, un," Deidara spoke up as he motioned towards the oven. He glanced over at Hidan and let out a disgruntled sigh. "And I guess I'll feed your annoying ass, too."

"Awww, that's so sweet, Deidara-chaaan," Hidan quipped, causing the blond to flip him off.

Leaving those two alone to bicker, Hinata headed towards the wing of the mansion where Naruto's room was. Each of the servants had their own bedroom with an attached bathroom, and Hinata hadn't even made it down the hall completely before she heard an angry bellow from inside Naruto's room.

"HIDAN, I'M GOING TO _FUCKING_ KILL YOU FOR THIS!"

Apparently, laxatives did work on demons, at least whilst in human form. Naruto's stomach had undeniably been affected by the potent combination that Hidan had spiked his food with.

"I'll wait until later to tell him," Hinata decided with a sigh.

**Hidan is evil, and now Naruto is probably plotting his death. Hope you found it amusing, and I'd be extremely happy if you reviewed and tell me what you thought of this chapter.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yay, next chapter! I'm starting a new job next week, and then I'll be moving at the end of the month, so I probably won't be able to update as frequently during the next few weeks. However, I'll still do my best to continue this story in the meantime. On that note, please read and review x3**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 9**

After a few hours, and almost non-stop cursing, Naruto was finally able to leave the bathroom, plotting Hidan's imminent death. That bastard would pay dearly for what he had done and Naruto was thinking of the most violent ways to kill the groundskeeper when he nearly bumped into Hinata.

"Oh, Naruto-kun, are you feeling any better?" She asked, gazing up at him with concern.

For the first time since she'd met him, Naruto appeared somewhat embarrassed. "I'm fine. I just hope you're not too attached to that fucker, Hidan, because I plan on ripping his head off," he seethed, his blood almost boiling. "No, scratch that; I'm going to mutilate him first. I'll start by flaying him alive."

"Lovely," Hinata deadpanned.

"And then I'll slowly rip away at his muscles and tendons," he continued, his eyes flashing red. "Maybe I should gouge out his fucking eyes and shove them up his ass. Or strangle him with his own intestines."

The indigo-haired girl shuddered slightly. "Thank you for that mental image."

"I think I'll go slaughter him right now," Naruto snarled, his hands clenched into fists.

"No, please don't," Hinata protested, grabbing hold of his arm. "I already spoke to him."

He growled, enraged. "That's great, but I still need to deal with him. I'll be damned if I let him get away with that shit."

"Deal with him later," she replied. "There's something important that I need to speak with you about. I wanted to ask you earlier, but you were...unavailable."

Naruto frowned a bit, his fury slowly diminishing. "About what?"

"I received an invitation to the gala that the Uchiha brothers are hosting. It's tomorrow evening, and I had made the decision to attend in order to keep up public appearances. However, by doing so, I need you to accompany me, as well as some of the servants. I've already spoken with them and they've agreed." Hinata released her grip on his arm, then continued. "The others will attempt to find out if the Uchihas had anything to do with the incident last month, or if they have any information. Pain and Konan will be the primary infiltrators, and will try sneak off in order to discreetly search the place."

"Interesting," he mused, thinking about it. "I take it as you'll need me to watch over you to make sure that no creepy men try to steal you away from me, right?"

Hinata blushed at the remark, catching the hint of seduction in his voice. "I suppose... For the most part, you will be there as my bodyguard, and will not be part of the group that searches through the mansion. That will be left to Pain and Konan. Sai and Ino will be keeping an eye on the guests to see if any of them display strange behavior."

Naruto snorted in contempt. "Really? You're trusting Sai and Ino? They'll be too busy trying to find a coat closet to fuck in."

"I already told them to behave themselves," she replied. "Neji-nissan will be going as well, and Tenten will be posing as his date."

"She must be thrilled about that," the blond quipped.

"I am permitting Sakura to attend as well, but that is all. Unless you count, Sasori, who will be driving you and me. He'll most likely just drop us off and come pick us up later, since he isn't too keen on extravagant gatherings. The others can borrow some of the cars that are stored away in the garage."

Naruto leaned against the wall with a smirk on his handsome face. "So, what's going to happen while we're at their little party?"

"Hopefully nothing," she answered. "Better safe than sorry."

"I guess. Wouldn't want you to accidentally die in case something goes wrong," he teased. The demon leaned down, his mouth mere centimeters from her ear. "I'll annihilate anyone who threatens you in any way. You understand that, right? As I've told you several times before, I need you alive when I take your soul, and I don't intend to lose out on it."

"What makes my soul so special to you?" she asked with the utmost curiosity. "Isn't it just like any other ordinary soul out there?"

Naruto chuckled softly, his breath warm against her earlobe. "Not even close. You see, yours is unlike any that I've encountered before, and I'm not easily impressed to begin with. You are so pure and innocent, but at the same time, you have a darkness in you that craves revenge. It's the perfect combination that makes your soul so desirable and why I'm willing to be more patient than I've ever been before."

"And if I were to kill someone, would that affect how much you want it?" Hinata asked with an eerie calmness, even as his fingertip traced along the concealed mark on her neck.

"Somewhat, since murder taints people's souls. Those who've killed numerous times have the worst-tasting ones of all," he explained, a look of disgust on his face as he remembered some of the foul ones he'd consumed. "But from the moment I saw you, I knew that I wanted yours. Hence the reason why I made that contract with you." He looked at her oddly for a moment, suspicious. "You aren't having second thoughts about our deal, are you? Because I don't take kindly to broken contracts."

The young woman smiled thinly. "I don't either. If I didn't want this, I would've just allowed myself to die that night. I was simply asking in case I end up in a scenario where I will have no choice but to kill someone in order to protect my own life."

"I wouldn't allow it to come to that," he assured her with a smug grin. "Just let me handle the dirty work and keep your pretty little hands free of blood. That's my job and I'd rather not have anyone steal any of my fun. Not even you, Hinata-chan."

_The following day_

Hinata looked at her reflection in the mirror, applying the finishing touches of her eyeshadow. This would be the first year she'd attend the Uchihas' gala without her sister and parents. It just didn't feel right, and it left a sour feeling in her stomach, making her nauseous. She really wasn't ready to attend such an extravagant event so soon after her family's deaths.

"I can do this," she murmured, brushing her sleek, indigo hair until it was perfectly smooth and silky. As long as she had Naruto and the others by her side, she would be fine. The young woman gazed at her appearance in the mirror, making sure that she was ready to go. _I'm not ready,_ she bitterly thought to herself. If she went to the gala, would she uncover any dark secrets that Itachi and Sasuke may be hiding? She didn't want to believe that they could be involved with such maliciousness, but she was at the point where she couldn't rule anyone out. Everyone was suspicious and she'd do well not to trust anyone outside of the mansion until she had more of an idea as to what was going on.

A few rooms down, the other four females were getting dressed as well, while the men waited downstairs for them.

"I'm so excited that I'm going to meet him," Sakura squealed with excitement. "I wonder what he's like..." She was wearing a black halter dress that tied behind her neck, the back of it criss-crossed with lace to secure it in a corset-like fashion. Her hair was kept down, with her side bangs pulled back and adorned with a silver barrette. Silver studs decorated her ears, and she wore a pair of high-heeled sandals to complete her attire.

"Hopefully you'll get to find out," Tenten remarked with a giggle. The brunette had chosen a light pink, Chinese-style satin dress that went down to the floor. The dress was decorated with white flowers and gold trim along the bodice, and there was a slit on the left side that went up to her knee. Her hair was styled in an bun, with a light pink butterfly clip to enhance its elegance. Her white pumps and silver hoop earrings complemented her dress nicely.

Ino smiled coyly at Sakura. "You gonna try to sneak off with Sasuke?"

Sakura stiffened, looking rather embarrassed. "Of course not," she protested frantically. "I-I just want to introduce myself. That is, if I can muster up the nerve to do so..."

"You'll be fine. Just don't be annoyingly clingy or anything. Keep in mind, he'll probably be flocked by other women, so you need to make sure that you stand out," Ino stated. The blonde was dressed in a vibrant purple backless dress that clung to her body. Like Sakura's, hers was a halter-style, with a small clasp at the back of her neck to ensure that the straps didn't separate. Her dress had a slit on the right side, though hers ended mid-thigh, exposing more of her leg than Tenten. Her long locks had been styled into a elaborate twist and embellished with purple clips. A pair of black high-heels and large, gold hoop earrings completed her attire.

"But how do I do that?" the pinkette questioned with worry. "I don't think that there's really anything special about me that would get his attention."

Konan smiled at her reassuringly. "Just be yourself. Like Ino said, don't smother him and maybe keep your distance a bit. Just enough so that he notices you, but doesn't feel like you're going out of your way to get his attention. He'll appreciate that more than any possible crowds of women that might be surrounding him."

"Exactly," Ino agreed. "Men want what they can't have. Sasuke will want to approach you if you make it seem like you don't care about him at all."

"But don't be too detached. You don't want to seem unfriendly," Tenten added.

Sakura sighed in exasperation. "This is more confusing than it should be..."

"Don't think about it so much, and just do what feels right," Konan advised. Her her midnight blue dress was strapless and of a smooth, silky material. Tiny, black beads embellished the bodice of the dress, which had a knee-high slit on each side. Her light blue hair was done up in lovely, messy bun and accessorized with a dark blue rose that resembled the white one that she usually wore. She had three small silver rings in each of her ears, and her outfit was finished with a pair of strappy, black sandals with four-inch heels.

"It's almost time to get going," Tenten spoke up, trying to distract Sakura from her anxiety of meeting the younger Uchiha brother. "We'd better hurry if we don't want to be late."

"Plus, the guys are probably getting tired of waiting," Ino added with a smirk.

They exited the room and headed down the corridor where the staircase was, where Naruto, Sai, Neji, and Pain were waiting. Neji's pale eyes widened a bit as he saw Tenten slowly descending the steps, his breath caught in his throat. She looked absolutely stunning, and he couldn't help but stare at her. He had chosen a dark gray suit with a red wine-colored tie for the occasion, and Tenten blushed when she saw him. Just as she reached the bottom of the stairs, she opened her mouth to greet him, only to accidentally trip on her dress. With a yelp, she shot forward, only for Neji to quickly rush forward and catch her.

"U-uh, sorry," she stammered awkwardly, mentally cursing her bad luck. Every. Damn. Time. Couldn't she not make a complete fool herself in his presence for once!?

"Don't worry about it," he replied with a smile as he steadied her. "You look great."

While Tenten was reeling from his compliment, Sai's cheeks darkened with a blush as he gazed upon Ino. The blonde female had picked his outfit out for him, which consisted of a black suit, complete with a vest, and a purple tie that matched her dress.

"You look very nice, Ino," he managed to say in a calm voice.

"Thank you," she replied with a flirty undertone as she brushed up against him. "You're not looking so bad yourself. And you were against me choosing your outfit for you. Aren't you glad that I managed to convince you otherwise?"

Konan took her place beside Pain, who was glancing down at her attire with approval. His suit was a slightly darker shade of blue than Konan's dress, with a white shirt and blue tie to complete it. His arm slipped around her bare shoulders, a satisfied half-smile on his face.

"Where's Hinata?" Naruto asked. "Is she ready yet?" Unlike the other three males, Naruto's attire was more on the casual side. His white dress shirt was not tucked into his black pants, and his black overcoat was kept open, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. He wore no tie, and the top two buttons of his shirt were unfastened. Despite the fact that he would be attending a sophisticated gala, he pulled off the look exceedingly well.

"She should be down here any minute now," Sakura said, noticing that Sasori was waiting by the front door. The redhead would be chauffeuring Naruto and Hinata, while the other seven of them would be taking two of the cars from the garage. Pain, Konan, Sai, and Ino would arrive together in one, while Sakura would accompany Neji and Tenten. The brunette was too nervous to be alone with Neji in a car and had practically begged Sakura to join them. "Give her a few minutes."

"I'm ready," Hinata gently spoke up from the top of the staircase, gracefully making her way down the steps.

Naruto couldn't help but stare at her, his blue eyes scanning over every last inch of her. Hinata had chosen a lavender colored chiffon dress, with a heart neckline that revealed a bit of cleavage. The light, delicate dress had two, thin spaghetti straps, and an empire waist, which was embroidered with tiny crystals that resembled diamonds. The bodice clung to her well-endowed chest, while the rest of it flowed gracefully down to the floor. Her high heeled shoes were the exact shade of her dress, each with an ankle strap that also appeared to be studded with crystals. She'd decided to keep her waist-length hair down, with a small, ivory-colored rose clip on each side of her head to keep her hair pulled out of her face. The roses had a light, silvery glitter on the tips of the petals to help them stand out a bit. A matching, ivory choker was around her neck to keep the mark concealed, completing her breath-taking attire. Naruto swallowed, fighting the urges inside of him. He wanted to rip that dress off and push her up against the wall, for one thing. It took a fair amount of restraint in order to keep himself from doing so. This waiting period was turning out to be a hell of a challenge.

Hinata descended the last step, catching Naruto's searing gaze as she stepped down. She couldn't help but blush lightly, noticing how attractive the blond male looked as well. When she moved closer to him, she caught a whiff of some musky cologne he was wearing, and felt herself nearly shudder with delight. However, she managed to stay composed as she looked at the others, trying to ignore Naruto's stares.

"Whatever you do, don't let your guard down," she warned them, her tone firm and serious. "I don't know how tight security is over there, so if you attempt to sneak off to try to find any information, do not get caught. If it seems too risky, then don't do it at all. I'm looking for answers, but I do not intend to lose any of you in the process. In the event that a dire situation occurs, discreetly leave the Uchiha mansion and immediately return here. I doubt that anything such as that will happen, but I want us to be prepared an any possible scenarios."

"Konan and I will do our best to sneak into whatever areas of the mansion that seem to be unguarded," Pain told her. "Regardless of whether or not we find anything, I can assure you that we will not get caught."

Hinata nodded in understanding, then turned her attention to Neji, Tenten, Sai, and Ino. "You four will stay in the main hall where the gala is being hosted. I'm not sure if some of the guests attending expect me to show up. Some may make comments to each other over the fact that I decided to attend. If they sound as though they might know anything regarding me or the company, try to pay attention. I don't expect you to listen to each and every person there, but if you happen to hear anything that might be suspicious, keep it in mind. Naruto will obviously keeping a watchful eye on me, and he'll be there to escort me out in the event that anything goes wrong. If you see him rushing me out, I want you all to follow his lead and leave as well. I will mostly likely speak to both Itachi and Sasuke tonight, and although I don't think they had anything to do with what happened last month, it doesn't hurt to be cautious."

"What about Sakura?" Ino asked. "What should she do?"

"I'll try to talk to Sasuke as well," Sakura spoke up. "It just depends on how well it goes. If I can, I'll try to figure out if it seems that he's hiding anything." _And maybe more_, she secretly hoped.

"Now that you all know what to do, let's get going to the Uchihas'. I'd rather get this night over and done with," Hinata remarked with a bit of reluctance.

Naruto quirked an eyebrow. "What about Hidan, Deidara, and Tobi? Are they going to guard the place?"

"The mansion is too big for them to guard by themselves. I'm going to set the alarm in case anyone breaks in, and they are just going to relax for the night while we're gone. It wouldn't be right to force them to do any work if the rest of us are attending a party, after all," she pointed out.

"Hopefully they don't burn the place down," Sai mumbled as they headed out the front doors.

Naruto waited as Hinata typed the code for the burglar alarm into the security system, which had been installed shortly after the massacre, then locked the doors behind her. Her paranoia made her triple-check her work, only for Naruto to gently lead her towards the car where Sasori was waiting.

"I think you got it," he snickered, his hand enveloping her much smaller one. "You don't have to worry so much. Those three are fucking idiots, but they'll keep the place from being ransacked."

"I know," she murmured. "But I'm not taking any chances."

**Okay, that concludes this chapter. I tried to make it a bit longer than the last one. Hope you enjoyed it to some degree, and feel free to leave me a review. Next chapter will be out by next weekend at the latest.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay, this is probably going to be the last chapter that I can post for a few weeks. I am in the process of packing my stuff up because I will be moving. I also have a new job with more hours, so there's another reason why I won't be able to update for a little while. In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying the story so far and I will update again as soon as I possibly can. On that note, read and please review ^_^**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 10**

"Are you prepared for this?" Naruto asked with a smirk as Sasori pulled up to the Uchiha mansion. It wasn't quite as big as the Hyuga manor, but it was intimidating nonetheless.

Hinata glanced at him for a moment, then reverted her attention back to the window, her eyes scanning the area with caution. "Yes."

"You're not a very good liar," he remarked with amusement.

"I'm not lying," she coolly responded, meeting his gaze with hers. "I'm not ready for this...but I'm prepared."

Naruto quirked an eyebrow. "That doesn't make sense. Being ready and prepared are the same thing."

"Mentally, I'm not ready to face the ones who may have been responsible for everything, but I'm prepared for the worst. No matter what happens, our contract shall be carried out until the end. Even if it means my death...make sure that they suffer," the young woman said with an ominous undertone.

The blonde chuckled. "You really are in a rush to die. All in good time, Hinata-chan, all in good time," he added, his finger brushing along the side of her neck. "For now, let me enjoy the fun while it lasts."

Thankfully, there was a window that separated the front from the back seat, meaning that Sasori could not hear their morbid conversation. However, knowing his uncaring personality, he wouldn't have thought anything of it. He typically listened to music while driving, preferring not to take part in small talk overall. He parked the car and turned the engine off, as it had been agreed that he'd stick around in case anything went wrong.

"Thank you, Sasori," Hinata said with gratitude. "I don't know how long we'll end up staying, but I'd rather not be here for more than three or four hours. I apologize for making you wait."

"It is my job, so who am I to complain? Besides, I have plenty of means of entertainment," he added, holding up his cell phone.

Naruto had gotten out of the car as soon as the redhead had stopped, circling around to the other side to open the door for Hinata. "Care for a hand?" He teased, gently taking her hand into his and helping her out of the vehicle.

"Thank you," Hinata murmured, smoothing down her dress as the male shut the door. "It looks like the others are here, too," she added, briefly nodding over to the two cars that had been borrowed by the servants.

"If that's the case, then let's go." Naruto wrapped an arm around her waist and began to escort the blushing girl towards the granite stairwell that led up to the main entrance of the mansion. "By the way, did I tell you that you smell absolutely amazing? So good that I could almost eat you up."

"U-um, thank you," she answered, her body brushing softly against his as they ascended up.

Naruto let out an annoyed growl, seemingly uncomfortable. "Dammit..."

"Something wrong?" Hinata questioned.

"This stupid thing is digging into me," he complained with a groan. The gun tucked into his belt was rubbing up against his lower back in the most irritating way. "Really wish that I didn't have to carry it around. I don't need it."

"It's not for you. It's for me," she reasoned with him. "You may have no use for one, but I certainly could use it if necessary. You just happen to be holding it for me."

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

"I'm very sorry to hear what happened, Hinata. I know that I've told you before, but if there's anything I can do to help, you know where to find me."

Hinata smiled thinly up at the twenty-two year-old male. "Thank you, Itachi-san. I appreciate the sentiment. It's been difficult, but life goes on. There's no pause or rewind button."

"Sad, but true," he agreed. The elder Uchiha brother was dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, with a red shirt underneath and a black tie. His sleek, raven hair was tied back in a ponytail like usual. At the moment, he was dancing with Hinata, not noticing the blond demon glaring at him from the other side of the grand hall. "It's disgusting that there are people out there who are so twisted and vile, that they'll do anything as long as it benefits him. I truly am sorry you have to deal with something so distressing. However, I must applaud you on the fact that you've been doing so well with the company now that it's yours. Or so I've heard."

"You've heard correct," she confirmed. "It hasn't been easy, but I manage. I've expanded it a bit, but I don't want to go too fast and lose control of everything. Time is key."

Itachi smiled, his navy blue eyes filled with amusement. "Maybe I should have you replace Sasuke, since you seem better with this whole 'running a business' scenario. He knows his way around, but he doesn't like to take any risks and would rather just stay on the same, straight path. Which there's nothing wrong with, but sometimes, you just have to get a bit creative."

"I agree. Speaking of which, I haven't spoken to him yet. He seems to be a bit busy at the moment," Hinata said, glancing at the crowd of women surrounding the younger brother.

The nineteen year-old male looked less-than thrilled as several women all tried to excitingly talk to him at once. This one was asking him if he wanted to dance. That one wanted to know if he was hungry. Another one wanted to know if he would care for a drink. It was more aggravating than anything else in the world, and part of him just really wanted to tell them to get lost._ 'But that wouldn't look good'_, Itachi had lightly teased him earlier. '_Be nice. Or pretend to be nice.'_

"Sasuke-san, you look so handsome," a woman with red hair cooed, trying to subtly inch closer towards him. "I love your suit," she added, adjusting her glasses. The suit was similar to Itachi's, only the shirt was blue instead of red.

"Thank you," he replied stoically, looking around to see if there was a convenient exit. He seriously needed to get away from these annoying women. And fast. His dark blue eyes scanned the area, hoping to find a spot where he could run off to and ditch everyone. However, instead of locating an exit, his gaze skimmed over something else. Or better yet, a _someone_ else. The young woman seemed to be in her late teens, with her cherry blossom hair flowing loosely against her shoulders. She was wearing a fitted black dress that complemented her figure, and her emerald green eyes locked with his for a brief moment. She was a good thirty feet away or so from him, but the distance didn't matter. Unlike the flock of women around him, she hadn't approached him. Yet that brief eye contact had strangely made more of a connection with him than any of the females surrounding him. He was both perplexed and intrigued.

"Excuse me," he mumbled, tearing himself away from the group. "I have some important business to attend to."

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

Hinata looked around the area for a few moments, checking to see what the others were up to. Pain and Konan were nowhere in sight, meaning that they'd sneaked off in attempt to investigate the mansion. Neji and Tenten were dancing together, blissfully smiling at each other. It seemed that Sai and Ino had helped themselves to a few drinks, and were getting a little on the frisky side. Ino seductively rubbed her bottom against Sai's groin, who was grinning like a moron, his face rather flushed from the alcohol. When he was sober, he was the most serious and meticulous person in the existence. However, she learned that Sai was the complete opposite whilst drunk. Hinata sighed, wondering if they were even paying attention to the other party-goers around them. They were, after all, supposed to be listening for anything that might seem suspicious. _Let them enjoy themselves. They may not have many more opportunities to do so_, she thought to herself. Naruto was about fifty feet away, and it seemed as though he was dealing with the same problem that Sasuke had been experiencing. It seemed as though he had his own fan club, as there were easily at least fifteen young woman flocked around the handsome blond. Hinata felt a small twinge of jealousy, but was unable to process anything else do to a sudden voice in her ear.

"Hello, would you care for this dance?" A young man with dark brown hair said.

"No, dance with me instead," another male insisted, taking hold of her hand. "I've been meaning to ask you for awhile now."

The first guy growled. "Screw you, I saw her first."

"I doubt that," a third man grumbled from nowhere.

Before she knew it, Hinata was surrounded by a group of men, all of them trying to convince her to dance with them. Speechless, the indigo-haired girl could only watch as they argued amongst each other over who would get her. It was more than a little embarrassing.

"Excuse me, but may I cut in?" Naruto was suddenly by her side, a hint of rudeness in his low voice. "I've had my eye on her all night." Without even waiting for a response, he wrapped his arm around Hinata and escorted her away, leaving the others gaping with disbelief.

"I noticed that you were in distress and decided to come to your rescue," he joked, pulling her to the dance floor.

Hinata nodded gratefully and sighed. "It was overwhelming. It's like they just came out of nowhere."

"I know the feeling," he added with a mutter. He'd promised himself that he wouldn't lower himself to participate in any ridiculous festivities that these pathetic humans took part in. He considered most of them trash, save for Hinata and most of her staff. He still hated Hidan, though. That wouldn't be changing any time in the near future. However, now that he had Hinata in his grasp, he might as well take advantage of it and dance with her in front of those morons that had bothered her. Not only could he spite them, but it would be pleasurable for him as well. He held her petite frame against his as they slowly waltzed, ignorant to the world around him.

Hinata's lavender eyes were locked with his blue ones, and she felt as though she was walking on air as they glided on the hardwood floor. She wanted to tear her gaze away, but found herself unable to, as if she was in a trance of some sort. Likewise, Naruto stared down at her, captivated by her beauty. He glanced down at her glossy, pink lips, wanting to crash his against them. Hell, there was a lot of things that he wanted to do. And unfortunately, those things were typically frowned upon when practiced in the eye of the public. So for now, he'd have to behave himself. For now.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

If there was anything that the Uchihas had a shortage of, security was not one of them. Pain and Konan had managed to discreetly sneak out of the grand ballroom where the gala was being hosted, unnoticed by any of the guests. However, with the exception of the restroom, the rest of the mansion appeared to be inaccessible. While several of the rooms were blocked off by security guards, others were simply closed behind locked doors.

"Should've figured," Pain mumbled, his eyes narrowing.

"This place is huge," Konan whispered, looking around to make sure that they hadn't been spotted. "And there are too many rooms for us to pick the lock on each door."

The redhead smiled thinly. "If only we were allowed to knock out the guards... Would make the job a bit easier."

"Hinata-sama told us not to do anything too risky, and it seems that we won't be able to infiltrate the mansion as instructed," Konan murmured. "I expected that much."

Pain was about to speak, when a security guard rounded the corner. Without a second thought, the male quickly pressed Konan up against the wall, crashing his lips against hers. The blunette responded by moaning into the kiss, running her hands through Pain's spiky hair.

The surprised guard cleared his throat. "H-hey, you can't be out here. This part of the mansion is off limits. E-excuse me!"

Pain pulled away from Konan, turning around to face the guard. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to cause any trouble. It was just getting a bit too crowded for us in there."

"We didn't know that we couldn't be here," Konan added apologetically. "Sorry, sir."

"I-it's fine," the man mumbled, his face heating up as the lovely young woman smiled flirtatiously at him. "Just don't come down this way again..."

Pain smirked. "Don't worry, we won't." With that, he took Konan's hand and tugged her along with him back towards the ballroom.

The guard's face turned beet-red when Konan looked back at him over her shoulder and winked, mouthing the words 'call me'. When they were out of sight, Pain chuckled softly and glanced over at her.

"You got the poor guy's hopes up," he quipped.

Konan smiled innocently. "I was just having a little bit of fun..."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sakura could practically hear the sound of her own heartbeat racing in her chest as she danced with Sasuke. She was completely shocked that he'd not only approached her, but had asked her to dance with him.

"You're not like other women," Sasuke murmured, one of his arms wrapped around her waist. "Well, the ones that I've encountered at this party, I should say."

"Is that a bad thing?" Sakura questioned, tilting her head ever-so-slightly.

He smirked. "If I thought it was a bad thing, would I have asked you to dance with me?"

She blushed lightly, embarrassed. "I suppose not."

"You look a little familiar," Sasuke mused, his dark eyes peering into her green ones. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

Sakura felt her heart skip a beat, wondering if he'd recognized her during one of his few visits at the Hyuga mansion. She hoped not. "N-no, I don't think so. I mean, I-I've never met you before."

"Hm..." He looked as though he was thinking. "What's your name?"

"M-my name?" The pinkette debated on giving him a fake name for a moment, but decided against it. "It's, um, Sakura."

"Sakura... That's a pretty name," Sasuke replied, pulling her closer to him as his hand rested on the curve of her back. "It suits you well."

She was stunned by the compliment, and found herself stammering in response. "Th-thank you, Sasuke-kun. I mean, Sasuke-san," she quickly added apologetically. It was rude to be so casual with someone with a social status such as his.

The raven-haired male gave a brief, nonchalant shrug. "No, the first one was fine. Normally I don't like it when women address me like that...but I'll make an exception for you, Sakura."

_Hell yeah!_

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

The rest of the evening proved to be rather uneventful, and before they knew it, the gala was coming to an end. By the time Sasori pulled away from the Uchihas' estates, it was well after midnight. Pain and Konan had been unable to infiltrate the mansion, due the the high security. They hadn't been caught, but coming out empty-handed was almost worse than that in their opinion. Not finding anything unusual was one thing. But they hadn't even had the chance to look around. Neji and Tenten had been rather close for the majority of the night, though Hinata hadn't had the chance to ask them if they'd heard anything worth noticing. Sakura had been reluctant to leave as well, as it seemed that she and Sasuke had hit it off extremely well. So well that Sasuke had even asked for her number to 'keep in touch'. Sai and Ino had managed to behave themselves for the most part, despite having unlimited access to the alcohol being served. Thankfully, Pain was the designated driver, leaving the buzzed couple in the backseat to giggle stupidly among each other.

"How was it?" Sasori asked as Naruto and Hinata got into the car.

"Boring," Naruto scoffed with disdain. "Though I have to admit that it wasn't entirely horrible," he added.

Too tired to notice the flirtatious undertone in Naruto's voice, Hinata sighed and leaned back against her seat. "It was uneventful. Nothing seemed suspicious, but Pain and Konan were unable to search due to security."

She closed her eyes and let herself relax as the chauffeur drove back towards the Hyuga mansion, eventually dozing off. Her body leaned up against Naruto's, her head resting against his broad shoulder. She hadn't had much sleep lately due to her insomnia, and the gala had taken more out of her than she'd realized. This did not go unnoticed by Naruto, who wrapped his arm around her shoulders to keep her from slumping down. His eyes wandered down to the bodice of her dress, where he had a nice little peek of her cleavage. With a satisfied grin, he held her against him for the rest of the ride in silence, as he and Sasori had no interest in talking to each other.

Upon their return, instead of waking Hinata up, Naruto simply gathered her into his arms bridal-style and carried her inside the mansion. He headed up the stairs, staring down at the sleeping girl with desire. He was getting hungrier and hungrier for her. She looked and smelled so delicious that he hadn't been kidding earlier when he said that he could devour her. He chuckled to himself, several dirty thoughts running through his mind as he walked towards her bedroom.

Feeling herself being carried by a pair of strong arms, Hinata sleepily looked up at the blond. "Naruto-kun?"

"Oh, so you are awake. Were you pretending to be asleep just so that I'd carry you?" He quipped. "Not that I mind."

"S-sorry," she apologized, attempting to remove herself from his hold. "I can walk-"

"I've got you for now," he interjected. "Just rest. I can tell that you're tired, seeing how you passed out on me. It was extremely adorable, by the way..."

Hinata's face turned a light shade of pink and she looked away in shame. "D-did I? Sorry."

"Don't be." Naruto carried her to her bedroom, then gently set her down at the doorway. "This is where I let you off. I would stay for longer, but you don't enjoy me sticking around to watch you change, so I'll leave you alone for the night. Get some sleep, Hinata-chan," he added sensually as he leaned down to plant a soft kiss on the top of her head. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Thank you," she replied timidly. "Goodnight." With that, she closed the door, intending to change into pajamas before going back to sleep. She hadn't noticed that Naruto's eyes had turned red right as they parted ways. If he didn't find a way to keep control of himself, he might accidentally break their deal and take her before the allotted time. There was only one thing to do, and it was better not to delay.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The first thing Sasori noticed as he walked into the kitchen was the strong smell of marijuana, which had hit him before he'd even stepped foot into the room. Hidan, Deidara and Tobi were sitting on stools, with an array of junk food on one of the tables they were seated around. A large bag of pot, some papers, a lighter, and a few other items were out in plain view, though they seemed not to notice the redhead's presence. Even when he took a seat on an empty stool and helped himself to one of the rolled joints, he was barely acknowledged, as the trio had spent the better part of their evening smoking and snacking.

"The first time I ever got high was in the backseat of my older brother's car, un," Deidara said with a slow nod. "It must've have been some pretty good shit, because I'm an only child."

Hidan snickered, stuffing a handful of potato chips into his mouth. "The first time I tried to buy weed, the fucker tried to give me a bag of oregano. So I beat his ass, took his entire stash, and left. Free of charge."

"I have learned a very important lesson in life," Tobi spoke up in a calm and mellow voice. "We either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become a villain."

"Wow, that's deep, un," Deidara murmured. "Did you get off of a bumper sticker or something?"

"Nah, it's from a movie. Or a book. Or a television show. Or an anime. Or a porn," Hidan replied, grabbing another handful of snacks. "Or a porn that is based on a movie. Or a book. Or a television show. Or an anime. Or a porn."

"A porn based on a porn? Sounds legit," the blond agreed with a nod, oblivious to the fact that Sasori was rolling his eyes as he listened to their ridiculous conversation.

The redhead exhaled, blowing a puff of smoke into the already smoky room. "You're all a bunch of idiots."

"And pretty soon, you'll be just as idiotic as us," Hidan pointed out with a smirk. "Or close to it."

**Alright, I made this chapter longer than the rest, since I am taking a break for a few weeks. I hope you found it amusing, so please leave a review and I will update as soon as I have more time to do so. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Even though things have been hectic, and I'm moving next week, I was able to take the time to finish up this chapter. The next one probably won't be out for about two weeks, but at least I was able to get this one done :p Hope you like it, and please review.**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 11**

Hinata awoke the following morning, somewhat refreshed from the reasonable amount she'd actually gotten. For once her insomnia hadn't kept her up for the majority of the night. She'd fallen asleep almost immediately, something that she hadn't experienced in weeks. Slightly elated from her good night's sleep, she walked over to her closet to select a change of clothes. After a bit of contemplation, she decided on a short-sleeved white button-up blouse and a gray, pleated skirt. She put on white, knee-high socks and black flats to complete her attire, then carefully hid Naruto's mark with a gray choker.

Satisfied with her appearance, Hinata walked over to the window and gazed at the outside area. She'd done so every morning upon waking up and then once more right before she headed to bed. It was a routine that she'd started after the incident, an almost painful reminder as to why she had taken Naruto up on his offer a month ago. From her bedroom window, she had a perfect view of the three headstones that had been placed within the back of the garden. However, unlike every other day, she noticed an alarming discovery.

The young woman gaped in horror, and had to grab onto the windowsill to keep herself from collapsing. The memorials had been completely obliterated, with chunks of marble scattered all around the vicinity. Not only that, but the grassy area surrounding the headstones had been set on fire, leaving behind a charred, blackened mess. The flowers by the grave had been incinerated, and what appeared to be red paint had been splashed over the destroyed section as a final insult.

Hinata's heart was racing a mile a minute, and tears stung her eyes as she stared at the site. Her fingers tightened on the windowsill until her knuckles turned white, and her body trembled with both grief and fury. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the view, and her rage only escalated as she continued to stare. How dare they do that to her family's memorials?_ How dare they?_

With a frustrated scream, Hinata momentarily lost control of her emotions and violently punched the window, shattering it. Even as the shards cut into her hand, she didn't seem to notice.

Naruto burst through the door seconds later, stunned to find Hinata panting heavily and bleeding from her right hand. He'd only just arrived back at the mansion a few minutes prior, and had heard the girl's scream on his way to his bedroom. His clothes were splattered with a mist of blood, though the stains were hard to discern due to the fact that his attire was black. That small detail didn't go unnoticed by Hinata, but she didn't care. She fell to her knees with a sob, the tears now running down her face.

Naruto rushed to her side and gently took hold of her wrist, inspecting the damage. "What the hell happened?"

Hinata looked at him tearfully, her lavender eyes filled with hatred. "I'll kill them..."

Confused, the blond rose to his feet and turned his attention to the broken window. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the destruction outside. "What the fuck..."

"Naruto-kun..." The indigo-haired girl murmured, wiping her eyes with her good hand.

Naruto returned to her side and crouched down beside her, wrapping an arm around her. "Come on, let's get your hand fixed up-"

"P-promise me," she interjected, her voice shaky. "Promise me that you'll help me get my revenge. Please."

He smirked menacingly. "You know that I will. I did promise you, after all."

The rush of adrenaline that Hinata had experienced dissipated, and she was now fully aware of the shooting pain all throughout her injured hand. Wincing, she looked down to see the damage. Bits of glass were imbedded in her fingers and knuckles, and blood steadily dripped down onto the floor.

Amused by the shocked expression on her face, Naruto chuckled and helped her stand. "Let's go find Sakura. I'll take a look outside in the meantime to see if I can find anything."

"Where exactly were you anyway?" Hinata asked as he escorted her out of the room.

"I had some business to attend to," he replied vaguely. "Let's just say that it was for you benefit." _Or it'll at least keep me under control for a bit longer,_ he wanted to add. The three souls he'd devoured had been rather plain-tasting in his opinion. Nothing special about them at all. Hinata's soul was the one he'd patiently been waiting for. His mouth watered a bit from the thought, but he quickly pushed those thoughts aside for the time being. Dessert was always much more satisfying and sweet than dinner. Hence the reason why it was always reserved for last.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

"Just how the fuck did this happen?" Hidan demanded as he gawked at the garden. "I know that I didn't get that fucked up last night and set the place on fire. It must've been Deidara, the fucking pyro."

"It wasn't me," Deidara shot back indignantly. "Do you honestly think I'd be stupid enough to do something like that? If anyone is that dumb, it's Tobi, un."

Tobi shrieked in alarm. "I did it!? That's terrible! I don't remember anything that happened last night! Well, other than hanging out with my two best friends, Hidan-sempai and Deidara-sempai!"

"We're not your fucking friends," Hidan growled.

"So none of you noticed anything strange last night while the rest of us were gone?" Naruto questioned incredulously.

Deidara shook his head. "Not that we noticed, un. We had a few drinks, but nothing crazy happened."

"No, don't you remember the bag of green stuff that Hidan-sempai brought out? And that we smoked it out of that awesome glass thing that made me cough a lot?" Tobi idiotically babbled out.

Deidara gaped at the masked man as if he'd lost his mind, while Hidan smacked Tobi upside his head with an annoyed hiss. "Will you shut up, you fucking dumbass?" the silver-haired male grumbled.

"I don't give a damn if you guys snorted coke off the floor," Naruto stated flatly. "I'm just trying to figure out what the hell happened."

"Well, we don't know anything about it," Hidan stated firmly, crossing his arms over his bare chest. "Where the hell were _you_ when it happened? Isn't it your job to watch over the fucking mansion?"

The demon snickered. "Actually, it's my job to watch over _Hinata_. And I had to step out for a little while to take care of some personal business."

"Yeah? And what would you have done if something had happened to Hinata in addition to the headstones?" Hidan snapped. "You're fucking lucky that nothing else was messed up."

"I wouldn't let anyone harm so much as a single hair on Hinata," Naruto snarled, his voice dripping with venom. "And anyone who tries to...well, they'll be begging me to kill them by the time I'm through with them." On that note, he turned and left the garden, leaving the three young men in a state of surprise.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

"So this is the list you compiled," Hinata mused as she scanned over the sheet of paper that Kakuzu had handed her. "Interesting..." Her right hand was wrapped up with bandages, courtesy of Sakura's medical skills. Every shard of glass had been removed, and the cuts had been disinfected, but it nonetheless felt as though her hand was on fire.

"It was longer, but I narrowed it down," the man told her. "Give me a few more days and it should be even shorter. I just figured that I'd give you an update on what I've found so far."

Hinata smiled at him briefly. "I'm impressed. I am a bit disappointed that Hidan didn't recommend you to me sooner."

Kakuzu seemed to be smirking beneath his mask. "It wouldn't have mattered, because I wasn't around. I only came back because I finished up my previous job, and I handle only one case at a time. If I'm being paid, then I make sure I do the job correctly. Time is money and mistakes could cause my pay rate to suffer," he added. "I'm actually surprised that you haven't already hired someone else for the job. Why wait so long to bring in a private investigator?"

"Well, as both you and Hidan stated, you are not 'legal' per se. I'd rather not involve law enforcement, because it would interfere with what I am trying to achieve," she informed him. "I have more freedom to do things my way without any other involvement forcing its way in. You seem to be the type of person who doesn't care what a person does in their spare time, as long as you are paid the amount you've requested. Am I correct?"

"You are indeed," he replied with a snicker. "This is strictly business, so I couldn't care less what you wind up doing in the end. Once my job is over, I leave and act as though we've never associated before. It makes things less...complicated."

Hinata nodded in agreement. "I'm glad we're seeing eye to eye on this." She handed him a thick wad of cash, practically seeing his eyes light up with greed as he took it from her. "I expect to hear from you hopefully in the near future. Thank you for the service."

"The pleasure is all mine." Kakuzu pocketed the cash and left the room, leaving Hinata alone in the office.

The young woman picked up the list off her desk and quickly scanned over the names that had been written down. There were five altogether. Each and every one of them had a legit reason as to why it would be beneficial for them if the Hyuga company went down in flames.

"Yakushi Kabuto. Momochi Zabuza. Shimura Danzo. Uchiha Itachi. And Uchiha Sasuke," she whispered to herself.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

"So, what do you think Sakura will say once she learns that her Boy-Toy is on the list?" Naruto asked, sitting beside Hinata in the backseat of the car.

Hinata shrugged a bit, her eyes staring out the window. "She probably won't take it well. It's too soon to jump the gun and make accusations, since there are four other possible suspects. Unless, of course, Sasuke is working with Itachi, which would make sense. However, until I have more information, I can't make any offensive moves yet. Not until the list is dwindled down even more."

"To save on time and energy, I can just go and eliminate all of them," the blond demon offered with a suggestive smile.

She shook her head. "No. I won't involve anyone who turns out to be innocent. If it is discovered that all five of them were in on it, then yes. If not, then no."

Naruto snorted in contempt. "And just how exactly is Kakuzu obtaining this information anyway? He might just be stringing you along so that you'll pay him more."

"I don't ask how he does his job. And even if I don't trust him, I trust Hidan. And with everything that has happened, Hidan wouldn't recommend anyone who wasn't capable of handling the task."

"But why those five? Sure, I understand the Uchiha brothers, since they own a rival car company. But what about the other three?"

Hinata thought for a moment. "Yakushi Kabuto used to be employed by Hyuga Motors about three years ago. He was one of the engineers who designed some of the cars we manufactured. He was good at his job, but in the end, my father discovered that he was trying to sell some of the designs to competitors, and ultimately fired him. That was two years ago. I wouldn't be surprised if he still held a grudge against my family because of it."

"Makes sense," Naruto admitted.

"I don't know much about Momochi Zabuza, as I heard my father only mention him once or twice. He, too, used to work for the company, but he intentionally tampered with some of the vehicles, causing several of them to be recalled. I don't know what his reasoning behind it was, but he was fired as well. Shimura Danzo is the one who I am most suspicious about," Hinata told him. "He tried several times to get my father to sell him a portion of the company, being rejected every single time. I think he felt threatened by just how much success my father was having, and wanted to make sure he didn't get ahead of him. Zabuza and Kabuto may hold a grudge due to losing their jobs, but Danzo would have the most to gain if the company went down."

"And since the Uchihas operate a rival car company, it would benefit them if Hyuga Motors went up in flames." Naruto quirked an eyebrow. "Are you sure that you don't want me to just eliminate all of them?"

She looked at him flatly. "Positive."

Sasori accelerated slightly to keep up with the increased the speed limit, coming up to a bridge. It stretched for nearly a mile, and crossed over a lake that was about thirty feet deep or so. No other cars were visible, which wasn't surprising considering that they were heading away from the bustling city and towards the more peaceful, rural private property that would bring them to the mansion.

"How about I just kill half of them?" Naruto coaxed teasingly as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I promise that I'll clean up my mess once I'm finished."

"No," Hinata replied firmly, her cheeks turning pink as he snuggled her close. "Not until I get more information."

Naruto opened his mouth to playfully protest, only to be cut off by the sudden revving a motorcycle. A moment later, the driver sped up alongside the car, and a second person on the back of the bike pointed a revolver directly at them. They were both clad in black, their faces concealed behind their visored helmets. Naruto was on the right side of the car, behind Sasori, and didn't hesitate to throw himself on top of Hinata as soon as the gunman began to fire shots at them. Swearing, Sasori swerved a bit to try to avoid the shots, the windows shattering from the bullets. Hinata squeaked, hearing several rounds ricocheting against the exterior, her body covered by Naruto's.

"Sasori!" she called out with alarm.

"Shit!" Sasori slammed on the breaks, ducking down to avoid the gunfire. The motorcycle zoomed past them, only to turn around to come after them once again. Narrowing his eyes, the redhead put the car in reverse and pressed down against the gas pedal to put some distance between them. He was slumped down in his seat, the windshield shattering as another shower of bullets were fired.

Naruto kept Hinata pushed down into the seat, shielding her from any stray bullets that may pass through. One round lodged itself into his back, though he hardly noticed. Protecting Hinata was his first priority, and he would go after their attackers as soon as he could safely leave Hinata's side.

Sasori continued to drive the car in reverse down the bridge, waiting until the bike drew closer. The shooter had momentarily paused to reload their gun, buying the calculating chauffeur a few moments to think about his next move. He felt a throbbing pain in his right shoulder and glanced down to see blood oozing from a bullet wound. Ignoring the sensation, he pressed down on the accelerator to increase his speed even more, carefully timing everything in his head. As soon as the motorcycle drew close enough to where he wanted it, Sasori suddenly jerked the wheel to the right, causing the back end of the car to hit the bike. The attackers were thrown from the motorcycle, sending both them and the bike into the guardrail.

There was little time to celebrate as the car spun out of the control, two of its tires ruptured from the shots. It slammed into the railing, breaking through it completely, and sent the vehicle hurtling off the bridge and into the lake. As soon as the car hit the water, both Hinata and Sasori were momentarily stunned by the shock. With all of the windows shattered, the car was immediately filled with frigid water and quickly sank down beneath the surface.

Without hesitation, Naruto grabbed Hinata and kicked the door off the car completely to avoid the broken bits of glass still lodged in the windows as he pulled her out of the wreckage. He quickly swam up to the surface, looking around to see if there was any nearby land. Luckily, they had fallen off near the edge the lake, giving them a safe spot to retreat to. Sasori had regained his senses and managed to escape through the windshield after he removed his seat belt. Although his arm was injured and numb, he was able to slowly make his way to the area Naruto was headed.

As soon as the water was shallow enough, Naruto picked Hinata up and carried her the rest of the way. "Are you okay?"

Hinata coughed, her clothes completely soaked. "W-where's Sasori? Is he okay!?"

"He's right behind us," Naruto told her and gently set her down on the dry land. "Are _you_ okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied with annoyance. "Please go help Sasori."

"That won't be necessary," the redhead told them with a thin smile as he trudged his way forward. "I'm already here. Not too bad for someone with a bad arm." He coughed up a mouthful of water, his hand clutching his injured shoulder, which was bleeding profusely.

Hinata gazed at him with panic. "Oh, god..."

"Don't worry yourself," Sasori told her as he sat down on the ground. "I won't die from this or anything."

"You should lie down," she insisted, then applied pressure to his wound when he reluctantly complied.

While Hinata tended to the chauffeur, Naruto rushed back to the bridge to see what had become of their attackers. He angrily stalked over to where the crumpled bodies lay, the guardrail splattered with their blood. The shooter's helmet had fallen off, revealing a young woman with long brown hair. Her eyes were glazed over with death. Ripping off the male driver's helmet, he was revealed to be deceased as well. Naruto wasn't sure if they had been killed when Sasori had hit them with the car, or from the impact of slamming into the guardrail.

"Damn it," Naruto snarled, furious over the fact that there was no way to 'question them', to put it gently. He would've liked to slowly torture them until they spilled every last little bit of information. And since they were already dead, he couldn't devour their souls as a parting gift. He wanted to rip their bodies to pieces, but decided to simply kicked both of the bodies off the side of the bridge. After he had savagely stomped his foot down onto their heads and crushed their skulls, of course. It hadn't been anywhere near the carnage that he craved, but it satisfied him enough where he felt slightly better.

**Okay, I tried to put some more action into this story so that it's not so freaking boring. As I said, the next update won't be for at least a week or two, but I hope you enjoyed this in the meantime. Please review so that I can die happy.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry for taking so damn long to update. Been very busy working and still unpacking from my move. But hopefully I can get back on track and at least update once a week. On that note, please read and review.**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 12**

Hinata stood under the spray of hot water, the bathroom filling up with steam as she showered. Her body trembled slightly, still in shock over what had happened earlier. She was lucky to be alive, and probably wouldn't have survived if it hadn't been for Naruto. With a sigh, she rinsed her long hair and tried not to panic about the current situation. Since Sasori had passed out shortly after the accident, Naruto had been able to use his abilities to return them to the mansion without the redhead noticing. He'd simply slung the chauffeur over one shoulder while cradling Hinata in his other arm to transport them. Despite Hinata's protests, he had demanded her to warm up and shower immediately while Sakura tended to Sasori's wound. However, no matter how much Hinata cranked it up, the water just didn't feel hot enough to her.

The indigo-haired girl leaned against the shower wall, her hands clenched into fists. Waking up to the destroyed memorials had been enough to ruin the entire day, but the bridge incident had made it multitudes worse. Vandalism and attempted murder were not something that one expects to face on a typical day. _But you should expect it_, she reminded herself bitterly. _They never finished the job last month..._ Regardless, putting the household staff in danger was the last thing she wanted, and she couldn't help but blame herself for what had happened to Sasori. Something would have to change if she had any hope of keeping everyone safe.

Hinata turned off the water and emerged from the shower, then grabbed a thick purple towel. She dried off in silence, then wiped the fogged-up mirror off. Sakura had wanted to check her for wounds as well, but Hinata had been adamant about Sasori getting his treatment first. There were only a few mild bruises on her from what she could see, and other than the damage her ribs had received the other day, she didn't feel any concerning pain. She was scheduled for a meeting in three hours, at four o'clock, though she was in no mood to deal with it after everything that had happened.

After a mental debate, the Hyuga settled for a small pair of light blue shorts, a white tank top, and white ankle socks. She'd change into something for suitable for her meeting later. As soon as she was dressed, she hurried to the infirmary to see how Sasori was holding up. She made it just in time to see Sakura and Konan emerge from the room, closing the door behind them. The dark smocks that they'd thrown on over their maid uniforms were spotted with blood, and Hinata felt her heart sink.

Noticing Hinata's panicked expression, Sakura quickly spoke up. "Sasori will be fine. It was a task digging that bullet out of him, hence the blood on us. But he'll make a full recovery."

"He just won't be able to use that arm for a little while," Konan added. "It may be better if he avoided driving for a few weeks, but knowing Sasori, he'll do it anyway."

Hinata let out a relieved sigh. "Thank goodness."

"I think it would be a good idea if I checked you for any injuries as well," Sakura recommended.

"That won't be necessary. Only a few bumps and bruises. I'm just glad that Sasori will be okay. Thank you so much," the indigo-haired girl murmured gratefully.

Konan smiled. "No need to thank us. It was a good thing that Naruto was able to bring Sasori here as quickly as he did, or he would've sustained much more blood loss."

"Pain and Sai left to check out the damage at the bridge, and they told us that the accident was about two miles away from the mansion. It's amazing that Naruto carried him for that long. What is he, a machine?" Sakura quipped.

Hinata smiled innocently. "No, he's just an efficient bodyguard."

"Hinata-sama, you sound as though you're coming down with something," Konan kindly pointed out. "Are you feeling well?"

"I'm just a bit tired from the way the day is going," she replied dismissively. "Don't worry about me. And if anything changes with Sasori's condition, let me know immediately." She resisted the urge to check up on Sasori, deciding it would be better if he was left undisturbed.

As she headed towards her office, she coughed, stifling the sound with her hand. Her head was beginning the throb, and she felt chilly all of a sudden, making her wish that she'd chosen a different outfit.

"Looks like you're coming down with something, huh?" Naruto asked, seeming to appear out of nowhere and causing the girl to jump slightly. He had showered and changed as well, now sporting black sweatpants and an orange muscle shirt.

"Please don't sneak up on me like that," Hinata chastised as she continued down the hall. She reached up and lightly rubbed her right temple, aware that the blond was following her as his bare feet padded on the hardwood floor. "Do you need something?"

Naruto quirked an eyebrow. "Well, it is my job to keep my eye on you. I am your bodyguard, after all."

"I'm alright," she answered flatly, opening the door to her office. "I just need an aspirin for this headache."

The male watched with amusement as Hinata went over to her desk, retrieving a bottle from the top drawer. She swallowed two of them dry, hoping that they'd kick in soon. In the meantime, she would lie down and rest before the meeting.

"It's cute how you try to act all tough when you're sick," Naruto teased as he entered the office and shut the door behind him.

"I'm not sick," she told him, only to break out into a coughing fit. Refusing to meet his dubious gaze, Hinata wandered over to the leather couch and grabbed a blanket that had been slung over it. She wrapped herself up in it, curling herself into a ball at the end of the couch.

Naruto joined her, sitting at the opposite end. "A bit cold, are we? I could tell that you were before you even wrapped yourself up. And I'd like to thank you for wearing that thin, rather see-through tank top."

Hinata's face turned a deep shade of red, and she hugged herself even tighter. "B-be quiet."

"But that wouldn't be fun," he said with a mock sigh. "I'd much rather spend my time irritating you."

"Well, I have a headache, so if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop talking," she responded with a wince.

Naruto smirked. "If that's the case..." He reached over and grabbed Hinata, pulling her towards him.

"W-what are you d-doing?" Hinata squeaked as she gently pushed her down so that she was lying down with her head on his lap.

Instead of answering, Naruto ran his hand across her forehead, finding it very warm. His fingers moved over slightly, and he began to gently massage her temples in small, circular motions. Hinata gazed up at with him with surprise, but found his touches to be soothing. Her embarrassment gradually subsided and she allowed herself to relax. The throbbing in her head dulled the longer he caressed her, his fingers occasionally running through her dark locks. Hinata sighed softly at the sensation, enjoying the treatment.

Naruto stared down at the beautiful girl, noticing that she'd begun to doze off. He gently stroked her hair, loving the silkiness against his fingers. His body shuddered slightly, an all-too-familiar urge rising up within him. Even after consuming those souls earlier, his craving for her had not diminished much. He so wanted to ravage her body, and felt himself grow stiff at the thought. Hinata seemed to notice the hardness poking at her, for she shifted in her sleep, moving her head slightly to get comfortable. The friction of her movements caused Naruto to groan, and he had to restrain himself from losing control over his ever-increasing desire. Annoyed with himself, he growled and gathered Hinata up in his arms after pulling the blanket off her. He carried the young woman to her bedroom, all the while he mentally fought to suppress the lust building up inside.

When he reached her bedroom, he gently laid her down on the bed and pulled the covers over her to keep her warm. Instead of leaving right away, he gazed at her for a moment, before leaning down to plant a kiss on her soft, pink lips. He then stalked out of the room, closing the door behind him quietly. His irises had turned crimson, and it took him several seconds before calming down enough to change them back to blue. He really hated waiting...

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

Hidan and Tobi had spent most of the day cleaning up the mess in the garden, collecting every last piece of the shattered marble. The red paint, which Tobi had mistakenly thought was blood, had stained the grass beyond any repair. Hidan used herbicide to kill the ruined grass, then had worked with Tobi to remove the dead remains from the ground. It left an unattractive bald patch in the garden, but it was better than nothing.

"Tobi, go get the grass seed from out of the shed," Hidan instructed as he tied a plastic bag containing the red-stained grass.

"Right away, Hidan-sempai!" Tobi hurried towards the shed, only to trip over a hose and get tangled up in it. "A-AAAH! A SNAKE! GET IT OFF MEEEE!"

The silver-haired groundskeeper face-palmed with an exasperated sigh. "Why do I even fucking bother?"

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

Hinata groaned in her sleep, and rolled onto her side, subconsciously hugging the blankets. Her body glistened with a cold sweat and she curled up into a fetal position as she was slowly dragged into a nightmare that she'd prayed that she'd never experience again.

_The sound of her bedroom door being kicked in was what woke Hinata up, and she bolted upright in her bed in a state of shock. A man dressed in black was pointing a gun directly at her, and he stalked over to her. His features were hidden behind a black mask that covered most of his face._

_"Time to get up," he growled, roughly grabbing hold of her arm in a vice-like grip._

_Too terrified to even speak, and confused as to what was going on, Hinata was wrenched out of her bed and tugged towards the door. As the man dragged her out of the room, Hinata heard the sounds of gunfire all throughout the mansion. Screams echoed in every direction, especially towards the end of the house where the servants' quarters were._

_"W-what's going on?" she whimpered, more to herself as she momentarily went still._

_"You're about to find out," the male replied with a sinister chuckle, his fingers digging into her arm painfully. He ignored her cries of pain, and held tight as she fruitlessly tried to pull away. "It's useless to resist, so be a good little girl and hurry the fuck up." He moved his hand from her arm, only to grab hold of her breast instead. That hurt even worse, and she felt humiliated as he dragged her along._

_Hinata watched with horror as several other armed men stormed the mansion, ripping open the doors of every room they came across. Some of the servants bodies lay strewn along the corridors, their blood splattered in all directions. The sound of the ricocheting bullets was almost deafening, but they weren't quite loud enough to drown out the panicked screams all around. With her heart pounding in a frenzy, Hinata was brutally pulled along, the man's fingers painfully squeezing her soft breast. One of the maids attempted to run to Hinata's aide, her eyes wide with hysteria._

_"Hinata-sa-" The woman was shot in the head from behind, the bullet exiting through her forehead as she toppled over._

_A choked sob escaped Hinata as she struggled not to throw up, her eyes brimming with tears. She whimpered tearfully, gazing down at the deceased maid with grief._

_"Hurry the fuck up already," the man hissed, viciously grabbing a handful of her hair to make her shriek._

_Seconds later, she was practically thrown onto the floor of the office, where the rest of her family was. All three of them were kneeling on the floor, Hiashi with a gun pressed up against the side of his head. Hinata was forced on her knees as well, her lavender eyes filled with terror. There were five men dressed in black clothing, their faces all hidden behind half-masks._

_"Look. I'll give you whatever you want," Hiashi spoke in a calm, even tone. "Just whatever you do, please don't hurt my family."_

_"I wouldn't be making any requests if I were you," one of the men stated with a laugh. "And besides, that would go against our orders. None of you will be leaving this room alive, but at least you'll get to spend your final moments as a family."_

_Before Hinata even realized it, both she and Hanabi were being pushed onto the floor, and Hanabi yelped as one of the men tried to pull her pajama shorts down. Likewise, Hinata felt another one attempt to slip his hand down the bodice of her nightgown, causing her to scream in protest. Hinata writhed and struggled against her aggressor, the thin material of her nightgown tearing as he tried to rip it off her. In a matter of seconds, it was reduced to shreds, much to her parents' horror. In a fit of desperation, Hiashi elbowed the gunman next to him and lunged forward, while his wife threw herself at Hanabi's attacker. However, before either of them could land a single blow, both of them were riddled with bullets by the sub-machine guns from the rest of the intruders._

_Hanabi let out a high-pitched shriek as their parents collapsed to the floor, dead, while Hinata was frozen in silence. Some of her mother's blood had splattered on her, and her body lay only a few feet away in a pool of the fluid._

_"You assholes!" Hanabi wailed, tears cascading down her face as she glowered at their attackers. "I'll kill you for this!"_

_"A lady shouldn't swear like that. You'll have to be taught a lesson in manners."_

_Hanabi was shoved back onto the floor, kicking and screaming as the man tugged at her shorts again._

_Hinata suddenly snapped back to attention and noticed a knife that had been accidentally dropped by one of the intruders a few feet away from her. While everyone was momentarily distracted by Hanabi's frantic stuggles, Hinata quickly grabbed hold of the knife. Without a second thought, she sank the blade deep into the man's side, causing him to yell. A gun went off, and Hinata felt the bullet rip through her body, where it exited out her back. She toppled backwards, blood oozing from her wound._

_"Onee-chan!" Hanabi wailed, attempting to clamber to her sister's side._

No, don't!_ Hinata had wanted to warn Hanabi to stay back, but she found herself unable to speak. Or even move for that matter, as her body lay on the floor in numb shock. Instead, she watched helplessly as Hanabi was gunned down as well, her body pitching forward and landing only inches away from hers. Hinata felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her, and her lips quivered as her eyes met Hanabi's. The younger girl offered a small, parting smile as blood tickled from the corners of her mouth. Her eyes then fluttered closed as she let out her final, dying breath._

_Tears ran down Hinata's face as she gazed at her little sister, and her silence broke into a sob of despair. She tried to reach out to Hanabi, but her body did not seem to want to listen to her. Her nightgown was now splashed with Hanabi's blood as well_

_"Drag the bitch outside using the back door," the man she'd stabbed grumbled, his hand pressed up against his bleeding wound. "And make sure everyone else in this place have been eliminated."_

_He led two of the other assailants out of the office, one of whom had roughly grabbed Hinata and threw her over his shoulder. However, once they were outside, she'd been thrown onto the lawn, which was now soaked from the rain that had begun to pour a few hours earlier. From there, she was dragged along by her hair and neck, her legs and body getting scraped up in the process._

_"Should we finish her off?" One of the men asked, dropping the bleeding girl. _

_"Just leave her. She'll bleed to death before anyone finds her. Serves her right. Let's hurry up and get the fuck outta here."_

_Shivering and whimpering, Hinata could vaguely see the silhouettes of three men as they turned and left. She lay in a fetal position, her tattered nightgown clinging to her skin as the rain continued to pour down onto her. Her hand was pressed up against her stomach, and she could feel warm blood spurt through her fingers. More trickled from the hole in her back where the bullet had exited. Tears ran down her face as she let out an anguished scream._

Naruto bolted into the room, nearly breaking the door in the process as he rushed in. He'd heard Hinata's cries from down the hall, as he had been on his way to check up on her. The blond got onto the girl's bed and quickly gathered her into his arms.

"Hinata! Wake up!" He cradled the girl on his lap, holding her close to his chest. "Hinata!"

With a gasp, Hinata's eyes shot open, and she seemed disoriented as to what was going on. Her clothes clung to her glistening body, and she was breathing heavily, as if she'd just run a marathon.

"N-Naruto-kun?" she murmured, gazing up at him as she trembled in his hold.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked, his voice laced with a concern that he didn't even realize he had.

Hinata nodded briefly, though she was still shaking. "I-I'm fine. Th-thank you... I'm s-sorry..." His strong, muscular arms were comforting, and she could feel herself gradually calming down.

"Don't be sorry. I just wanted to make sure you weren't being killed or something," he said with chuckle.

The young woman was quiet for a moment, before shyly glancing up at him. "Um...c-could you please stay with me?" She felt pathetic for asking him to do such a thing, but she was too afraid to be left alone. "E-even just for a few m-minutes...?"

"Sure," he responded, a smirk playing on his lips. "By the way, I didn't wake you for your meeting and Pain is taking care of it in your absence. It was his decision, since you really weren't up for it."

"I see..." Hinata cuddled against him, her heart rate slowing down. "Thank you."

Naruto sat there for several minutes, with Hinata snuggled in his lap as he gently stroked her hair. _This girl is making me soft_, he bitterly thought to himself. _I don't fucking comfort humans._ But he couldn't resist those melancholy, lavender eyes that always seemed to tug on his heart, as black as it was. Hinata was the one exception he could live with, and it did feel nice having her petite body nestled in his arms. Once she was asleep, he laid her down with her with his arms still wrapped around her. Although he didn't need sleep in order to function, he allowed himself to doze off as well, as it felt right to do so. Then again, whenever he was with Hinata, _everything_ felt right.

**Yeah, I figured that it was time for a flashback. And romance XD Anyway, please review and the next chapter will be out in the next seven days.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry for taking so damn long to update, I've just honestly been extremely busy. I am also tired as hell and having nothing else to say :3**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 13**

Naruto awoke nearly two hours later to a pleasurable sensation on his lower regions. He opened one eye, noticing that Hinata was still cuddled up against his chest, passed out. At some point her hand had slid from its position on Naruto's chest, gradually moving downward until it rested directly on the groin of his sweatpants. The blond had grown hard as a result. Not only that, but the indigo-haired girl was unconsciously squeezing his member, completely unaware of what was going on.

"Fuck..." Naruto groaned, going completely rigid as his sleeping companion squeezed him harder. He reached over to her and ran his hand down her spine, then slid it up the back of her shirt. Her porcelain skin was warm and smooth to the touch, the only imperfection being the small scar she vehemently hated. Naruto smirked to himself, thoroughly enjoying the treatment he was getting. Maybe a little too much.

Hinata sighed softly and ceased the groping, much to Naruto's disappointment. Her hand continued to rest on his crotch, though it was only teasing the demon at this point.

"Dammit," he growled, reluctantly pulling away from her. It wasn't that he didn't want to be near her or anything, but he knew that it was time to leave her alone and allow her to rest. Until, at least, she had another nightmare that would send him hurrying right back.

Naruto leaned down and brushed Hinata's bangs out of her face, then kissed her forehead. It was a soft, tender kiss that completely contradicted the roughness that he usually displayed. Realizing what he was doing, and somewhat annoyed with himself, he stormed out of her room. _I am seriously getting way too fucking soft..._ He headed towards the kitchen in hopes that Deidara was cooking dinner, as it was almost six. Luckily for him, the blond chef was doing just that.

"Your ramen is almost done," Deidara told him, gesturing the the large pot on the stove. "Figured that you were probably hungry."

Naruto grinned, his mouth watering from the delicious aroma. "Heh, you're not a bad guy. Unlike some other asshole that resides here."

As if on cue, Hidan came trudging in from outside, an irritated expression on his face. "The next time I have to work with Tobi, I'm going to fucking kill him." His bare chest and pants were smeared with dirt and sweat.

Naruto made a disgusted face as he eyed the silver-haired groundskeeper. "You stink, you know that, right?"

"Well, no fucking shit, Sherlock," Hidan deadpanned, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "I've been working outside all fucking day to clean up that mess. And since I had Tobi 'helping' me," he grumbled, using air quotations, "It took me that much longer 'cause he kept screwing shit up."

"Where is he now, un?" Deidara asked, flipping over slabs of meat that he had grilling in a frying pan.

Hidan rolled his eyes. "He got his dumb ass tangled up in a hose and is acting like it's a damn snake. This is the fourth time... Anyway, since Naruto was so kind to point out that I stink, I'm going to take a fucking shower. Wouldn't want to offend anyone," he added dryly. "Make a plate for me and put it off to the side."

"Yes, Hidan-sama," Deidara muttered. "Right away, un."

Ignoring the sardonic quip, Hidan exited the kitchen, muttering to himself that Tobi needed to get smacked upside the head with a rake. Once he was gone, Naruto turned his attention back to Deidara.

"Make him a plate just like he asked for. I'll make it extra special for him," he added with a cruel undertone.

"Don't even tell me..." Deidara trailed off, knowing what he meant to do.

Naruto chuckled evilly. "Payback is a bitch."

By the time Hidan had finished his shower and returned to the kitchen, Naruto had devoured six bowls of pork ramen._ All's fair in love in war,_ he thought to himself as he gleefully watched Hidan begin to eat. _And your first mistake was fucking with a demon_.

"I'm gonna go check up on Hinata," Naruto remarked casually, getting to his feet.

"I'm sure you will," Hidan quipped, stuffing a chunk of meat into his mouth.

The blond male narrowed his eyes. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"

"Oh, c'mon. Whenever you're together, it looks like you're visually fucking her or something," Hidan snickered.

"I have a little more respect than that," Naruto replied with a calm, even tone. "Our relationship is purely professional."

The silver-haired man snorted. "Bullshit."

"Think what you want, but I'm only doing the job that I was hired for."

"As what, a male escort that carries a gun on occasion? No offense, but if you were an actual bodyguard, you'd be armed with more than a measly little handgun that you only carry while you're out," Hidan pointed out, shoveling another bite of food into his mouth.

Naruto stared at him with an amused, challenging expression. "I don't need anything else. Wanna find out for yourself?"

"You think I'm scared of you? Because trust me, you are sadly mistaken."

"Wanna bet your life on it?" The demon's voice had dropped into a low, menacing tone. "Hinata hired me for a reason, and maybe I should let you see exactly why she did."

"Alright, that's enough," Deidara spoke up. "I don't want a damn brawl in my kitchen. Hinata doesn't need you two bantering like a couple of morons after everything that's happened today, un. Or do I need to remind you?"

As much as they didn't want to admit it, Deidara did have a point. The memorials had been destroyed, and then with that whole bridge incident, Naruto didn't want to report to Hinata that he had killed her obnoxious groundskeeper.

"You're right, Deidara. She doesn't need to deal with this shit right now." Naruto turned to Hidan, a serious expression on his face. "For now, let's call it a truce. We can beat the hell out of each other another time."

Hidan shrugged nonchalantly. "Fine by me." With that, he took another mouthful, his plate now empty. Although he'd only taken a few bites, they'd been large enough for him to finish his meal in almost no time at all.

"And by the way, I hope you enjoyed your meal," Naruto snickered as he sauntered out of the room.

"Hey, what the fuck do you mean by that?" Hidan called out to him. "Get your ass back in here!"

"You'd better get your ass to the bathroom, and quick!" The blond laughed.

Deidara watched as Hidan rushed out of the kitchen, swearing and threatening to kill Naruto. However, he was already feeling the effects of the laxatives that Naruto had added to his food, and had no time to do anything other than book it to the nearest restroom.

"It never ends around here, un..." Deidara yawned and sat down on a stool. "Can this day get any weirder?"

Tobi came barreling through the kitchen door that led outside. "I finally got away from the snake, Deidara-sempai! I-" He crashed into the wall, bouncing off and landing on the kitchen floor, where he lay for several seconds, stunned.

"Guess I just answered my own question, un..."

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

While Hidan had made a mad dash to the bathroom, cursing the entire way, Naruto started to head back to Hinata, a smug smirk on his face. However, as he passed through the main foyer, Neji opened the front door and entered the mansion. Their eyes met, but instead of receiving a cold glower from the Hyuga like usual, Neji appeared rather distraught.

"Is Hinata here?" Neji inquired, trying to keep his voice steady.

Naruto looked at him strangely. "She's sick, so she's upstairs taking a nap."

"Wake her up. It's an emergency," Neji informed him adamantly. "If it wasn't important, then I'd wait. But I'm concerned about her safety."

Puzzled, Naruto offered a brief nod. "Alright. I'll be right back." He ascended the stairs, wondering what the hell was going on. He'd never seen Neji so shaken up, or show much emotion for that matter. And if he was that adamant of speaking to Hinata, then something was definitely wrong.

The blond reached Hinata's bedroom and opened the door, finding the girl still sleeping. He approached the bed and sank down on it, noticing that Hinata was curled up facing away from him. She looked so peaceful, and he hated the fact that he had to wake her up. Naruto lightly shook her, causing her to stir and groan in protest.

"Hinata, your cousin is here," he told her, pulling her into his arms. "He wanted me to wake you up."

"Hm?" Hinata's eyes fluttered open and she blinked in confusion. "Neji-nissan?"

Naruto nodded, helping her into a sitting position. "He said that it was important and it involved your safety. He was actually freaked out," he mused with a hint of surprise. "Usually he's such a boring, stoic bastard."

Now awake, Hinata got off the bed with the male's help. She was still a bit feverish, but the nap had helped immensely with her headache. _No, that was because of Naruto-kun,_ she reminded herself. She was about to leave the bedroom, when she realized that she was still dressed in the revealing shorts and tank top.

Naruto sighed with mock exasperation when she pulled on a thin, light blue bathrobe. "Too bad, I was enjoying the view."

Hinata's cheeks heated up as she tied the robe closed. "I-it's not appropriate to wear."

"You didn't have a problem with it earlier when you went to check on Sasori," he quipped as they headed to the staircase.

"Well, it's not suitable to wear in front of my cousin," she added, clearly flustered from his teasing.

Naruto snorted. "I really don't think he's going to care at this point in time."

Hinata rushed down the stairs, her heart skipping a beat when she saw the somber expression on Neji's face. "Neji-nissan, what happened?"

"I...damn, I don't even know how to say it. They're still investigating what happened," Neji replied, his voice distraught.

"Who's investigating? What happened?" Hinata asked again, growing more nervous as he kept quiet, vaguely aware of Naruto behind her. "Neji-nissan."

"My house. It...it was destroyed. It looks like it was...shit, I don't even know," he said with a humorless chuckle.

The young woman gaped at him with shock, not sure if she'd heard him correctly. "What? Here, sit down." She grabbed his wrist and tugged him towards the couch, shocked that he allowed her to pull him along. Tenten walked into the foyer, her eyes filling with happiness when she saw the brown-haired male. However, her joy quickly turned into concern as she noticed Neji's melancholy demeanor. Worried, she quickly headed to the bar to pour the man a stiff drink, figuring that whatever had happened, he'd probably needed it.

Once Neji was seated on the sofa, Hinata waited a moment as Tenten rushed over the glass of whiskey, allowing him to take a well-needed swig. "Please, tell me exactly what happened. Even if you don't know everything, at least fill me in on what you do know. What do you mean by your house was destroyed? It was burned down?"

Swallowing the bitter liquid, Neji sighed and placed the glass on the coffee table. "Well...I came home after running some errands. But when I got there...it looked like a bomb or something had gone off. The whole thing was obliterated, and whatever was left was burning away in the fire..."

Hinata was speechless, trying her best to register what he had just said. Someone had destroyed Neji's house? Was he being targeted now as well? And what had happened if he had been inside of the house at the time? She didn't want to think about the grim thought, and was grateful that he had made it to the mansion alive.

"You're kidding me," Naruto mumbled. "So, what, someone came and nuked the place?"

"I don't know," Neji responded, taking another large gulp to finish his drink. "The police are investigating it as we speak. They're trying to figure out if it was arson or some type of explosive..."

"That's awful," Tenten murmured sadly, gazing at him with sympathy.

Neji looked up at Hinata. "I'm worried about your safety as well. I know for a fact that you'll be targeted soon, too."

"She already has been," Naruto informed him, noticing that Hinata was eerily quiet. He explained the two earlier incidents in great detail, making sure to add that Sasori had been wounded in the process.

"It's not safe for you, Hinata. Please, your best option is to go into hiding," Neji practically begged. "I know that you don't like the idea, but-"

"No." Hinata's pale, lavender eyes met his, though hers were unwavering. "I refuse to go into hiding, even now. I won't run away from my problems, because in the end, there are no places to hide."

The male was agitated by this. "But it's not safe for you to stay here. They've already defaced your familys' gravestones, and your chauffeur was shot in the damn arm! You and all of the servants need to relocate before there's no more time left. For all we know, you could get attacked again, in your own mansion for that matter. Or it could be blown to bits like mine was. Or-"

"Neji-nissan," she gently cut in, her tone firm. "I understand what you're saying, but there is no way that I can simply run away like that. It is a cowardly move and I will not give in to anyone's threats. And even if I did try to run away, who's to say that I won't be tracked down? I can run, but I can't hide forever. I will eventually be found and eliminated, whether you want to believe it or not. I'd rather stand my ground and let them know that I'm not afraid of them. And in the end, they will pay for everything that they've done," she added, her voice laced with venom.

Neji sighed, relenting. "Okay. I suppose I finally see your point. I'm just concerned for your well-being, that's all."

"I am concerned for yours as well," she replied. "We'll get through this, one way or another. In the meantime, you are obviously welcome to stay here for as long as you'd like. Unless, of course, you'd rather stay in a hotel."

"No, I'd feel safer here, to be honest," he admitted, looking exhausted. "Hotels are not very safe, in terms of security."

"Speaking of security," Naruto spoke up. "Pain plans on having cameras and a security system installed on the premises."

"I would say that it would be wise to hire some guards, but I don't think you have the luxury of allowing complete strangers into your house," Neji pointed out to his cousin. "Especially with everything that has happened today. Let's just hope things die down for a little while, because I don't think you can handle any more stress."

Hinata quirked an eyebrow. "Your house was destroyed, and you're worried about _me_?"

"The bridge incident?" Neji retorted flatly. "Your chauffeur was shot, if I'm not mistaken. And then the car plummeted off the bridge and sank. You could've died."

"Naruto is competent enough to keep me alive," she replied with a hint of a smirk. "I hired him for a reason, you know."

"If you say so," he muttered, hauling himself into a standing position. "I think I'm gonna go lie down for a little while..."

Once Tenten and Neji had left the room, the maid escorting him to one of the several, spacious guest rooms, Hinata let out an agitated sigh. She ran a hand through her hair, then strode over to the bar area.

Naruto watched with mild shock as Hinata calmly took a shot glass from the counter and reached for a bottle of vodka on the shelf. She wordlessly filled the glass almost up to the brim, then capped the bottle again.

"It's odd to see you drink," Naruto remarked as he joined her.

"It's not every day that several disasters occur within such a short time frame," she retorted, bringing the glass to her lips. The alcohol burned as it made its way down her throat, and she grimaced once she'd finished it.

The blond reached over and touched her forehead, chuckling when she jumped slightly. "You're still a bit feverish. It's probably not a good idea for you to start drinking."

"I took one shot to calm my nerves," Hinata stated as she untied her robe. It was already making her feel uncomfortably hot.

"Understandable," he admitted, his eyes scanning over the glimpses of her body that the open robe allowed him to see. "Are you getting worried?"

She was quiet for several seconds, staring at her empty glass. "I'm worried only for the others' safety. I can not allow any of them to be put in further jeopardy. Sasori was wounded. Neji could've died, and would've if he'd been home at the time"

"So you're not concerned for yourself in the least?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow doubtfully.

"No. I'm not concerned about myself in the slightest. When we sealed our contract, I threw any care for my well-being out the window. I know that I will die in the near future, but as long as I take my enemies with me, I can die happy. And you can carry on with your existence until you make a contract with the next person." Hinata turned and headed towards the staircase, intending to go back to bed. The alcohol hadn't quite taken the edge off, but she was afraid her body would reject any more in her current state. She didn't need to be any sicker than she already was.

Naruto walked her back to her bedroom, both of them moving in silence. Hinata seemed deep in thought, as if she were planning out her next move. It was clear that she was distraught over the series of incidents. Naruto could tell that she felt responsible for what had happened to Sasori and Neji, and she appeared to be debating about something as they continued on their way.

"Neji-nissan was targeted simply because he's related to me," Hinata murmured once they'd reached her room. "And Sasori was injured for being in the wrong place at the wrong time..."

"You can't blame yourself for shit you have no control over, Hinata-chan," Naruto replied, using that cute nickname again.

The young woman stripped off the robe and hung it up on a hook, then climbed into bed. "I am fully to blame. If I expect to keep everyone safe, then I need to do what's best for everyone."

"And what is that?" He asked, watching as she pulled the covers over herself.

Hinata's steady gaze met his. "You already know the answer to that."

**Please review and the next chapter will be out in hopefully a week or so.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay, I finally got off my ass and updated once again. The next chapter may not be out for another two weeks or so, due to the fact that I am extremely busy. No, I don't have a social life of any sort, I'm just busy working to support my habit of chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream. Aaaand I'm contemplating on eventually starting a NaruHina compilation of one-shot lemons/smut stories within the next month or so. I already have about a dozen or so ideas but sadly it will take me awhile to get them all written down, haha. So on that note, please enjoy this chapter, review it if you have spare time, and the next chapter will be out in the not-too-ridiculously-far-away-future. Meanwhile, I will be cramming my face with more ice cream. I am eating it straight from the carton. Do not judge me...**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 14**

Three days went by, thankfully without any complications. Sasori's shoulder remained bandaged up, and Sakura had recommended that he wear a sling to keep himself from moving his arm too much. Hinata had recovered from her illness, with Naruto by her side for the majority of the duration. She hated being seen in such a pathetic state, but it wasn't as though she had a choice, as Naruto had been vehement about keeping an eye on her.

"You wouldn't be much good to me if you died because you got sick," he'd told her with a smirk. That part had been true, but he'd decided not to let her know that he was actually concerned about her health. He wouldn't even admit it to himself.

On the fourth day, Kakuzu returned to the mansion to give Hinata his latest report. To Hinata's surprise, he was not wearing the black hood and mask like he normally did. His dark brown hair went down to his shoulders, and his mouth was stitched together at the edges, giving him a glasglow smile. He appeared to be in his forties, but Hinata had a notion that he was older than he looked.

"How has the investigation been going?" Hinata inquired as he sat in the chair in front of her desk. As usual, Naruto was standing a few feet away, seemingly amused by Kakuzu's off-putting looks.

Kakuzu pulled a sheet of paper out of the file folder in his possession, then handed it across to her. "I haven't found you a definite answer yet, but I narrowed down the list. Yakushi Kabuto has been employed by a man who guys by the name of Orochimaru for the past two years. He had a grudge against your old man, but he doesn't have the resources to pull off such a scheme. Not only that, but he's drowned himself in the work that this Orochimaru person has been loading onto him."

"Should I be concerned with Orochimaru?" Hinata asked him warily.

He shook his head. "No, he has been working on a new line of medication that he's been trying to put on the market. Many of them have some rather unsettling side-effects, from what I discovered, but your father was not someone he was concerned about. If Hiashi had been in the pharmaceutical industry, then Orochimaru would've had a reason to get rid of him. And Kabuto only seems obsessed with helping his new boss in this shady business, so he wouldn't even care to waste any of his precious time trying to get revenge on an old employer."

"You don't know that for sure," Naruto retorted, skeptical of the older man's claims.

Kakuzu gave him an annoyed scowl. "Kid, I think I know what I'm doing. And so far, I've never been wrong when it comes to eliminating suspects. I do a thorough investigation, and as long as I'm being paid, I carry through with my services until the client is satisfied."

"And it looks as though Momochi Zabuza was not responsible for what happened either," Hinata mused as she scanned over the paper he'd given her.

"Zabuza ended up going to jail soon after he was fired," Kakuzu explained. "He tampered with too many vehicles and, as a result, many of the cars were not up to safety expectations. Several people were injured as a result of his actions, since many of the cars were sold without anyone knowing that he'd tampered them beforehand. He's had a year in prison so far, and has three more to go before he is released. Not only that, but he does not have the funds or connections that would allow him to hire so many people to go after you."

"He's only serving four years for tampering with vehicles?" Hinata asked, perplexed. "I thought it'd be longer than that, to be honest."

The stitched man shrugged briefly. "Too many technicalities, and they couldn't pinpoint just how many he'd intentionally sabotaged, since some of the cars may just have had ordinary mechanical problems. But either way, Zabuza is not your guy. So that leaves you with the Uchiha brothers, and Shimura Danzo. And there's no guarantee that both of the brothers were involved. One of them could have arranged the whole scenario without the other knowing. It will be difficult to investigate those three, but I'll have some answers by the end of next week."

Hinata rose from her desk, a stack of bills in her hand. "I am very satisfied with your findings, Kakuzu-san," she told him, handing the cash to him. "I hope you are able to provide me with more answers the next time we meet."

"I will," he assured her, greedily stuffing the money into his overcoat. "See you then."

Naruto waited until Kakuzu had left the room, then glanced over at Hinata. "So, what's your next move? Are you going to wait until Kakuzu gives you a definite suspect? Or do you want me to just kill all three of them to make it easier?"

Hinata shook her head. "No. I suppose I'll wait until he has more information, but if something else happens that might clue us on who was behind everything, then I will go ahead with my plan."

"And what exactly is your plan?" Naruto questioned, raising an eyebrow.

The young woman flashed a small smile. "You'll see."

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

"So...how are things going on between you Neji-sama?"

Tenten bristled, then slowly looked over her shoulder to see Sakura staring at her questioningly. "W-what do you mean by that? There's nothing going on between us." With that, she continued to polish the doorknob on one of the many doors in the corridor.

Ino snickered. "Ah, come on, Tenten. You can tell us. I mean, I see the way he looks at you, and you can't act as though you don't know what I'm talking about."

The brunette's face turned bright red. "No, I don't! He doesn't look at me any different than he does you."

"Bullshit," Sakura scoffed, dusting off the the painting in front of her. "We can tell he liiiikes you."

"Shut up," Tenten mumbled, accidentally dropping her rag. "He doesn't like me like that."

Ino and Sakura exchanged doubtful glances, then both sighed and shook their heads at their friend's stubbornness. Either Tenten was hiding something, or she was that oblivious to the occasional stares from Neji. Regardless, neither the blonde, nor the pinkette were satisfied.

"It's pretty obvious that he likes you. So why don't you make a move?" Ino asked.

Tenten crouched down to retrieve her fallen rag. "Like what? Spill tea on him? Or maybe I can trip and fall flat on my face in front of him, since I haven't done that yet. Either way, I'm sure I'll make a moron out of myself in front of him eventually..."

"You need to be more confident," Sakura told her, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"You know what, let's change the subject. How are things between you and Sasuke-kuuuun?" Tenten teased, wanting to divert the attention away from herself.

"S-Sasuke-kun? Well, uh...I haven't seen him since the Gala, so..." Sakura trailed off, moving on to the next painting on the wall.

Ino smirked, re-dusting the painting that Sakura had just done only seconds ago. "Well, you know where to find him, so..."

The pink-haired female turned to her, high annoyed. "Yeah? And do what? Act like some crazy stalker or something? And why don't I show up in my maid's uniform while I'm at it, huh? I'm sure he'd be thrilled to know that he danced with a lowly servant for the night."

"So what if you're a maid? What's that got to do with anything?" Ino demanded.

"Ino... You're lucky that you have Sai," Sakura murmured with a melancholy undertone. "Sai doesn't care that you're a maid, since he's a butler. I'm not saying that being a servant is bad or anything, but... Someone like Sasuke-kun wouldn't want to be with a person like me. He'd look for someone with a high social status."

"How are you so sure about that?" Tenten asked, her hands on her hips as she stared at the pinkette.

Sakura turned to her, her green eyes filled with despair. "Don't you feel the same about Neji-sama? Like he's too good for you?"

"Well..." Tenten couldn't deny that she did feel that way.

"Damn, if you're so worried about hooking up with someone who is 'too good for you'," Ino deadpanned, using air quotations, "There are other single guys who work here. Sai and Pain are taken, but that leaves you with a few others. How about Sasori?"

"He's nice. And good-looking," Sakura admitted. "But he's waaaay too serious. It was kind of awkward while Konan and I were bandaging him up. I can never tell what he's thinking, and I just don't see any chemistry with him."

Ino nodded in understanding. "Deidara?"

"Again, nice enough guy. But he's a lazy stoner who likes to use freaking blowtorches and other weird stuff to cook with," Sakura muttered, cringing at the meal he'd made yesterday. It had been burnt beyond recognition, as well as part of the wall. Since then, Sai had confiscated the blowtorch, hiding it along with the several others he'd taken on previous occasions.

"Alright, what about Hidan? He's pretty hot."

Tenten shook her head vehemently. "No. He scares me sometimes. He's okay when he's in a good mood, but when he gets mad, he gets _mad_."

"Okay, so that leaves Tobi," Ino offered.

"No," Sakura and Tenten deadpanned. That was a definite 'no'. Tobi was sweet and all, but his jaw-dropping stupidity and clumsiness could agitate even the most calm and patient of people.

"Well, the only other one I can think of is Naruto," the blonde responded, a smirk playing on her lips. "And we all know who he wants."

Tenten chuckled. "Too bad that he won't admit it. 'Our relationship is strictly on a professional level'," she said in a mock imitation.

"Maybe we can get him to admit it," Sakura murmured thoughtfully.

"Really? How?" Ino asked incredulously.

Instead of answering, Sakura smirked deviously with an evil glint in her eye.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

Naruto lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling with boredom, clad in only a pair of black sweatpants. Hinata had asked to be left alone for a little while, as she had some things to think about. He was curious about what she was planning in her head, but he knew that she would tell him once the time was right. For now, she was probably playing several different scenarios in her mind, contemplating on what would be plausible for certain situations. Hinata was smart and calculating like that, and the subtle hint of ruthlessness that she kept hidden away was a nice touch. She was preparing herself for whatever may come their way.

There was a knock at his door, and Naruto lifted his head slightly, frowning. "Come in."

The door opened, revealing Sakura, Ino, and Tenten standing in the doorway. They were all smiling at him innocently, but he knew better.

"May I help you?" he asked flatly, sitting up.

"Probably," Ino answered, leading the other two as she drew closer to his bed. "We were just wondering if you could answer a question."

Naruto quirked an eyebrow. "I suppose," he muttered, lazily flopping back down.

"Okay, what's going on between you and Hinata?" Tenten asked, staring at him expectantly.

"What do you mean by that?" The blond male asked with feigned ignorance. "There's nothing going on between us."

"Liar," Ino retorted, her hands on her hips. "We're not stupid, ya know."

Naruto smirked, his eyes closed contently. "I didn't say that you were. I'm just telling you that Hinata and I don't have anything going on."

"Yeah, okay," Sakura scoffed, not buying his statement. "It's pretty obvious that you at least like each other, am I right?"

"We like each other to a degree," he responded dismissively. "But that's about it."

"Either admit to it, or we'll _make_ you admit it," Ino threatened. They were now standing at the foot of his bed.

Amused, Naruto sat up and stared at them challengingly. "Yeah? And how do you plan on doing that?" He hadn't expected the three maids to pounce on him.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

Hinata emerged from her bedroom and gently closed the door behind her. She'd spent the past hour going over many possible outcomes of her current situation. As much as she wanted to wait for a definite answer from Kakuzu, she was still on edge about having to sit around in the meantime. All had been tranquil for the past few days, but anything could happen at any moment. Not only was she contemplating on her next move, but her mind kept wandering back to everyone else around her. Ever since Sasori was injured, she couldn't stop pondering over the others' safety.

Lost in her thoughts, she wandered past Hanabi's room, only to stop in her tracks moments later. Hinata turned back around to face the closed door of her sister's room, staring at it thoughtfully. She hadn't gone in once since Hanabi's death, as it was too painful of a reminder as to what she had lost. However, for reasons she didn't understand, she gingerly grasped the knob and turned it, slowly opening the door.

Hanabi's room had been left untouched for the most part, though Tenten had at least remade the bed. Unlike the soft pastel purples and blues in Hinata's room, Hanabi's was decorated in much more vibrant colors. The walls were a bright, lime green, with multi-colored curtains and decors all throughout the room. Several plush animals littered the floor, as well as various books and comics.

With her heart heavy, Hinata warily walked into the room, looking around at everything. It looked as though Hanabi had never been gone, which made it even more painful. She strode over to the dark cherry dresser, gazing at the array of junk that Hanabi had left strewn on top. Amongst the piles of hair accessories, schoolwork, and assorted toiletries, a small black box caught Hinata's eye. The indigo-haired girl hesitantly picked it up and opened it, already knowing what was inside.

Hinata stared at the delicate platinum chain, an Aquamarine dolphin hanging from it. She'd given it to Hanabi for her thirteenth birthday, using her sister's birthstone as the gem of choice. The younger girl had only worn it on a few occasions, as she had been afraid of breaking or using it. Hinata carefully pulled the chain out of the box and held it up in the light, her lips trembling. Hanabi had been ecstatic when she'd received it, claiming that it had been the best present of all.

_"Thank you, Onee-chan! I'll make sure to always keep it safe."_

Hinata wasn't even aware that she was crying until she felt warm tears sliding down her cheeks. She quickly replaced the necklace into its box and set it back down on the dresser. Brushing her tears away, she quickly left the bedroom and shut the door behind her, letting out a shaky sigh._ I promise I'll avenge you, Hanabi... Mother and Father, too. Just give me a little time. It won't be much longer..._

She headed towards the servants' quarters, figuring that she should tell Naruto about her next move. It had been tough for her to come to that decision, but she knew it would be the best for everyone. As she drew closer to that wing of the mansion, she could hear strange sounds coming from one of the rooms. It sounded like a mixture of swearing, yelling, and laughter. Curious, she continued her way down, realizing that it was, in fact, coming from Naruto's room.

"Will you stop it already!?" Naruto did not sound happy in the least, and as soon as Hinata reached the room, she discovered why.

Ino, Sakura, and Tenten had decided that if they couldn't persuade Naruto to admit to liking Hinata, they'd take a different approach. And that method consisted of tickling the blond male. None of them were aware that Hinata was staring at them from the doorway, slightly puzzled.

"Admit it and we'll stop!" Ino shot back, digging her fingers into his sides.

Naruto squirmed, restraining himself from knocking all three of them into the wall. Hinata would be quite distraught if he killed three of her friends, but what they were doing was pissing him off to the extreme. "Knock it off!" He laughed, growing more and more furious by the second.

"Not until you admit that you like Hinata!" Sakura teased, poking his toned stomach and causing him to jerk.

"Why you-!" Naruto attempted to kick his legs as Tenten mercilessly tickled his feet. "I'm going to kill you!" he exclaimed in between laughs. His eyes flashed from blue to red, though none of the three maids noticed this. Luckily for him, Hinata did.

"Enough," she spoke up from the doorway, causing the females to cease their assault. "What are you doing to him?"

Naruto glowered at his girls, breathing heavily as he slowly calmed himself down. His eyes reverted back to blue, but his blood still boiled with rage. He hated being made to look like a fool above everything else, and he had to remind himself for the hundredth time as to why it would not be a good idea to kill the maids.

"We just wanted him to admit that he likes you," Ino replied with a smirk as they got off of the bed. "We were close, too."

"You have three seconds to get out of this room," Naruto warned with a menacing undertone. "One...two..."

The girls were out of the room in a flash, laughing as they ran away from the fuming male. If it hadn't been for Hinata, it was likely that they'd be on the floor in a bloody heap.

"You have a bunch of lunatics working here, you know that?" Naruto growled, somewhat embarrassed that she had walked in on it.

"Well, now I know your weakness," Hinata mused with an innocent smile. "Are all demons like that or is it just you?"

He rolled his eyes and got off the bed and tugged a shirt on to cover his bare, glistening chest. "Very funny. You're lucky that I'd rather not upset you by eliminating your servants," he muttered, pulling on a pair of socks.

"They aren't all that bad," she responded with a shrug.

"I beg to differ," Naruto grumbled, shaking his head as he slipped his shoes on. "But anyway, have you made a decision as to what you're going to do?"

However, before Hinata could open her mouth, they heard a commotion coming from downstairs. Stunned, she and Naruto hurriedly rushed out of the room and ran down the hall. Before they even reached the staircase, an eerily familiar sound rang through Hinata's ears and she felt her heart sink. It was the sound of bullets shattering glass and ricocheting off the walls.

_Not again..._

**Okay, finally getting some damn action going on in the next chapter. Plus, it's about time that Naruto got off his ass ;) Anywho, as I said before, the next chapter will be out within the next two weeks or so. And I'm all out of ice cream. Fuck...  
**


	15. Chapter 15

**Yay, next chapter finally :3**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 15**

"The mansion is under attack!" Ino rushed over to Naruto and Hinata, breathless and wide-eyed. "The others are trying to stave the intruders off, but there are so many of them! I-I don't even know where they all came from! They just showed up!"

"Ino, go get Hinata one of your extra uniforms to wear. They won't be searching for a maid, and it'll be easier for her to evade them," Naruto told Ino, a rush of excitement coursing through his system. It had been too long since he'd had any fun and now was the perfect opportunity to unleash his pent-up rage.

Ino nodded in understanding and grabbed Hinata's wrist, quickly tugging her towards her bedroom. "We have to hurry!"

"But-" Hinata couldn't finish her sentence as she was pulled along by the blonde female. She looked over her shoulder, her eyes meeting with Naruto's. _Dispose of them_, was what she silently told him in an unspoken agreement. However, Naruto didn't need to be given such an order.

As soon as Ino and Hinata had disappeared into Ino's room, Naruto headed in the opposite direction towards the staircase. He was smirking hugely, and his eyes changed from blue to crimson.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

Pain and Konan were stationed at the roof of the mansion, gazing down at the group of masked men that was trying to infiltrate the manor. About two dozen had already broken in though various windows, but the front doors remained locked as the men attempted to shoot them.

"Pretty careless of them trying to break in right in the middle of the day," Pain murmured, positioning his sniper rifle with a sigh.

"Seems just like the good old days," Konan replied as she peered through the scope of her rifle. "We'll take care of the ones on the outside, and others can handle the ones that already broke in."

Pain nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan. It's almost as if we never quit our original profession, huh?"

"Comes in handy at a time like this," the blue-haired woman said with a brief smile. "Now let's get rid of them before more of them manage to get inside."

The two of them fired their snipers with deadly accuracy, taking down two of the men with a clean head-shot. Alerted by the presence, the remaining men looked up to see the pair of shooters, now directing their aim at them.

"Kill them!" One of them commanded, causing everyone to fire at the couple.

"Do they honestly think they're any threat to us from way down there?" Pain scoffed, pointing his weapon at the man who had just shouted. "Pathetic." He pulled the trigger, and a bullet ripped its way through the man's forehead and exited out through the back of his head.

"I hope the others aren't having too many difficulties," Konan mused, taking down another intruder.

The redhead smirked slightly. "Oh, they'll be just fine. They've had plenty of time to prepare..."

While Pain and Konan fended off the group in front of the mansion, Hidan and Deidara were busy with the rear. About fifteen men were attempting to infiltrate the mansion from the back, but found their advances interfered. Deidara threw homemade grenades at them, and detonated the miniature bombs that he'd planted in the garden. The blasts were powerful enough to send the men flying, badly burnt from the explosions.

As Deidara continued to throw the small explosives, Hidan had taken a more brutal approach to the attackers. He picked of the sickle that he kept in the garden and hurled it straight at the group. The sharpness of the blades and force of the throw had been enough to nearly bisect one of the men, badly cutting two others in the process.

"Fuckers," Hidan grumbled as he hid behind a tree to avoid their bullets. "Now I'm going to have a shit ton of work to do to fix up the damn garden. Just fucking great." He waited a moment for another of Deidara's explosions to distract them, then grabbed a nearby electric branch cutter. It was similar to a chainsaw, but with a much smaller blade. However, it was just as dangerous and had a reach of over five feet at its full length. Hidan turned it on and rushed towards the attackers, using the chaos around him to his advantage. He laughed sadistically when he felt the blade saw its way through its first victim, blood splashing in every direction.

Deidara cringed when he heard the sound of the man's screams. "Hidan, you are one sick bastard, un..." Regardless, the two worked well together, and while the chef continued to detonate more of the hidden bombs, Hidan continued to saw through anyone within reach.

"I'll help, too!" Tobi exclaimed, bashing one of the attackers on the head with a frying pan. "Oh...I think I overdid it..."

"Just keep doing that, un," Deidara muttered, throwing a smoke bomb out the window to keep the men distracted while Hidan cut them down. The groundskeeper had retrieved his sickle, now using it to brutally slice through the enemies.

Inside the mansion, several of the intruders had been injured that by traps that Sasori had rigged, in the event that anyone tried to break in. The wooden railings on the staircase had several tiny knives hidden inside, which shot out when he activated the controls from his room. Although still on bed rest by Sakura's orders, he'd be damned if he was going to sit back and do nothing while the place was under attack. Not only was the staircase equipped, but so was the glass chandelier, which fired an array of miniscule crystal pellets that worked in the same manner as bullets. The men who had succeeded in making their way through the front door were greeted by the traps. Sasori had contemplated in releasing a toxic gas for further security purposes, but eventually discarded the idea since the servants were susceptible to breathing it in as well.

Sakura and Sai held off assailants in another region of the house, each of them equipped with a firearm. Sai blasted away the intruders with a shotgun, all the while he muttered at how much of a mess their blood would make. Sakura shot at the infiltrators with dual handguns, dodging and evading the bullets that they fired at her. Ever since the incident a few days prior, she'd kept the guns hidden under her uniform, strapped to her thighs. She wasn't the only servant that now carried a concealed weapon at all times. Pain had warned them to prepare themselves, which they had taken the proper measures to do so.

"Don't you dare get your filthy blood all over the rug! Not only was that Persian carpet very expensive, but it was an antique! And now it's going to stain!" Sai exclaimed angrily as one of the men lay dying on the rug. "That carpet is worth more than your life!"

Amused by Sai's behavior, Sakura quickly reloaded the handguns and aimed at two more of the intruders, taking them both down a moment later. "That'll teach you to break in!"

Tenten and Neji were busy with nearly a dozen masked men, trying to keep them away from the main foyer of the mansion. Neji was armed with an assault rifle, while Tenten had several throwing knives at her disposal. Unlike the clumsy behavior that she normally displayed in front of Neji, Tenten was precise with her aim, managing to hurl several of the blades right between the enemies' eyes. Neji stared at her in awe, shocked at how agile she was while their attackers attempted to shoot at her. She dove and ducked around their shots, all while flinging the knives with unfaltering accuracy. However, now was not the time to lose focus, and the male quickly returned his attention on their aggressors and fired an array of bullets at them.

Since there were several more intruders than the amount of servants in the household, many of them had managed to get past the staff. Unfortunately for them, Naruto was waiting for them. And luckily for the blond, none of the servants were around to witness the carnage that was about to unfold. Nearly twenty men stood before the demon, guns pointed directly at him.

Naruto quirked an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Is that supposed to intimidate me or something?"

"Just hand over the girl and _maybe_ we'll kill you a bit more quickly," one of them threatened, his voice slightly muffled through the black fabric of his mask.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," he replied with an exasperated sigh. "You see, if I hand her over to you, then I can't enjoy her for myself later. So that kind of puts me in a difficult position. Besides, you should be more concerned with how you're going to get out of here alive..."

Angry, the group assailants fired at the blond, only for Naruto to disappear in a blur. However, he wasn't gone for long, and wasted no time in tearing through the horde. His nails had grown into razor-like claws, and his canines sharpened into fangs that were designed for ripping apart flesh. Naruto's body was surrounded by a reddish aura, which felt burning hot to the touch. The demon viciously attacked the intruders one after another, hardly noticing the barrage of bullets that were being fired at him. The shots were not loud enough to drown out the fearful screams and swearing all around him, though he took pleasure in hearing their cries of distress. It was much more satisfying.

Naruto brutally ripped one man to pieces in a matter of seconds, dismembering several more as they desperately tried to shoot him down. He tore out hearts, twisted heads off, ripped throats out, and disemboweled his victims one after another. Blood splattered in every directions, staining the floor, walls, and even the high ceiling. Low, guttural growls mixed in with malicious snickers followed any person that attempted to escape, only for them to be forcefully yanked back into their imminent deaths. Bones were broken and crushed, and internal organs were ravaged into sickening messes. By the time he was finished, in less than a minute, only one intruder remained.

"And where do you think you're going?" Naruto questioned, grabbing a man by his throat. It was the same one who had ordered for Naruto to hand over Hinata. "You wanted to have this get-together, so it would be rude if you left now." With that, he thrust two of his talon-like claws into the man's eye sockets, gleefully grinning at his victim's agony. "Does that hurt? Maybe this will help." He squeezed the flailing man's head between his hands, crushing his skull and killing him. Admiring his work, Naruto dropped the dead man to the floor with satisfaction. He scanned the room, positive that he had eliminated all of the aggressors that had slipped past the servants. The red aura surrounding him faded, his fangs and claws receded, and his eyes returned to blue. It would be annoying to explain his appearance to any of the staff members should any of them see him.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata was rushing towards him, now clad in one of Ino's spare maid uniforms.

The fox demon smirked at the young woman, the revealing outfit gaining his approval. The short, black dress ended mid-thigh, and the bodice seemed rather snug on her full breasts. _That's not surprising_, he thought to himself. _Hinata does have a bigger rack than Ino, or any of the other girls for that matter._ The lacy white apron and headband made the uniform that much more adorable. "You should've stayed upstairs. It's not safe for you until all of those bastards have been eliminated. And where the hell is Ino?"

"She ran off to help the others," she explained. "And don't worry about me. I brought this." She held up a semi-automatic pistol, loaded and ready to go.

"Yes, I suppose you do know how to handle a gun," Naruto mused in an obscure reference about the time she'd unknowingly fondled his manhood in her sleep. "By the way, you look very lovely in that cute little outfit. I think I could get used to seeing you like that," he added.

Hinata's cheeks turned a dark shade of pink, and she hugged herself in modestly. "W-well, don't get used to it. I only put this on because you suggested it."

"It does look nice on you," he told her, his eyes glancing down at her cleavage. "And you understand why I told you to wear it, right?"

"To blend in with the servants," she mumbled with embarrassment.

"Not really. I just wanted to see you in a maid's uniform," the male answered with a cocky grin. "And I was not disappointed."

Hinata blushed even more and gazed up at him with annoyance. "You are unbelievable..."

"Are you really that surprised?" His stares were far from subtle, and that skirt was short enough where if she bent over, he might get a glimpse of the panties she wore underneath. _Probably white,_ he thought to himself. _Either silk or lace, most likely._

Sensing his perverted thoughts, Hinata tugged at the hem of the skirt. "Enough already! And by the way, it would be wise to at least capture one of these guys alive, am I not correct?"

"Heh, guess I went a little overboard and didn't think of that," Naruto said, looking around the room to admire his work. "I'm sure we'll find one running around here somewhere before the others kill 'em all."

"I sure hope so," the young woman mumbled as she stalked away, holding the gun in her right hand. "You got carried away, but I suppose I can't complain about your methods. It'll just be a bit difficult to explain to everyone else why these guys are ripped to shreds..."

Naruto walked alongside her, smirking. "Eh, who really cares at this point? They can think all they want, Hinata-chan. It'll take more than a few dismembered corpses for them to guess what I really am."

"A few, huh? I counted at least twelve severed heads," Hinata muttered, casting a sideways glance at him. "That aside, let's go see how the others are faring."

"Sure. Just make sure to stay behind me so that I can keep your sweet little body safe," he joked, wrapping an arm around her.

Hinata grew flustered all over again. "I-I can't stay behind you if you're hugging me..."

"I suppose you're right," he replied with an overly exasperated sigh. "I'll just have to save that for later." The blond let go of her and continued forward, greatly amused by her shyness. He never got tired of that.

The couple reached the main foyer of the house, where some of the servants had gathered, as they, too, had eliminated all of their targets. Tenten, Neji, Sai, Sakura, and Ino were already waiting in the area, their clothing splattered with blood. Hidan, Deidara, and Tobi joined them moments later, Hidan's torso and pants coated with fresh blood as well. Several intruders lay on the floor, killed by the traps that Sasori had set. Their bodies were riddled with crystal pellets and blades, leaving behind a grotesque mess.

"Ewww," Ino muttered with disgust.

"It looks like we took down every single one of the attackers, un," Deidara pointed out. "I hope we didn't miss any."

"Doubt it," Neji spoke up. "Pain and Konan took care of the front of the mansion. The traps killed the ones who managed to break in through the doors. The back was guarded by Hidan, Deidara and Tobi. Tenten and I handled the west side of the mansion. Sai and Sakura took care of the east side." He directed his attention to Naruto and Hinata. "Did you guys have any trouble?"

Naruto shook his head, noticing that Pain and Konan were descending the staircase, returning from their stint on the roof. "None whatsoever. I took care of the ones that managed to squeeze past you guys."

"Thank god," Sakura said with a sigh of relief. "There were so many of them, I was afraid that we'd miss some."

"Regardless, Sasori is monitoring the cameras from his room," Pain explained. "He and I are wearing a wire so that we can communicate, and according to him, we eliminated every person that infiltrated the premises."

Hinata walked over towards the deceased intruders, carefully drawing closer towards them. She kept quiet, and peered down at their crumpled forms.

"Hinata-sama, what are you doing?" Sai questioned.

"Looking to see if any of them are still alive," she answered calmly, her lavender eyes scanning over the bodies.

"Oh, you want to make sure that there aren't any surprise attacks while we have our guard down?" Tenten asked.

The indigo-haired woman shook her head. "No. I want some answers. And I intend on finding out if that is even possible."

"Hinata, get away from them," Neji advised her. "It's not safe and-"

"This one." Hinata looked up and gazed at Naruto. "The one right here is still alive. His chest is moving up and down, making it apparent that he breathing."

Hidan quirked an eyebrow as Naruto stalked over to the man that Hinata was referring to. "Looks fucking dead to me."

"No, she's right," Konan confirmed. "It's hard to see from over here, but Hinata-sama is correct. He'll be dead soon by the looks of it, though."

Naruto crouched down and grabbed the guy by the front of his shirt, then ripped off his mask. He and Hinata immediately recognized him, his shoulder-length silver hair matted with blood.

"Mizuki?" Hinata glared at him, shocked. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I knew I should've thrown you out the fucking window when I had the chance," Naruto growled, resisting the urge to snap the bastard's neck right then and there. "Why the hell are you here?"

Mizuki snickered, coughing up a mouthful of blood. It dribbled down the corners of his mouth, and his body bled profusely from the numerous holes throughout it.

"Who hired you?" Naruto demanded.

The man smirked cruelly. "I-if you th-think that I'm g-going to t-t-talk...you're even s-stupider than I thought," he remarked, coughing wetly.

"I can be persuasive." Naruto roughly dropped Mizuki back down and grabbed his hand, taking hold of his thumb. With one simple snap, he'd broken it, causing the man to howl in pain. "Going to talk yet?"

"F-fuck you!" Mizuki snarled, grimacing and grunting in pain. "S-s-sonofabitch!"

The blond shrugged. "Okay. If that's the case..." He effortlessly snapped the index finger, emitting another scream from his victim. "Did that convince you to talk?"

Hinata crouched down beside Naruto and gazed at Mizuki with sheer hatred. "Who the hell hired you? Tell me or this will continue."

"W-what's the fucking point!?" Mizuki shouted in agony. "Y-You're going to d-die anyway, you bitch!"

"You fucking-!" Naruto took hold of Mizuki's middle finger, but instead of simply breaking it, he twisted it and tore it right off.

"Holy shit!" Sakura exclaimed, jumping back as Naruto leisurely tossed the severed digit aside.

Even Neji and Hidan were speechless at the brutal display, and they were starting to see why Hinata had hired a guy like Naruto. Pain and Konan looked somewhat amused, while the others were completely horrified.

"Answer her damn question!" Naruto yelled at the wailing man. "Because if you don't, I'll keep this up. You have seven more fingers for me to work with. You also have ten toes. And two wrists and ankles. And let's not forget about your kneecaps and elbows. I'll fucking torture you until you're begging me to kill you."

"Screw you!" Mizuki shouted back, another wet, bloody cough erupting from him.

The demon scowled, grabbing the ring and pinky fingers and crushing them together. He relished Mizuki's agonized screams, a sadistic grin spreading across his face. "Going to tell us?"

Mizuki jerked, his body succumbing to the wounds he'd sustained from the traps. The trauma he was experiencing on top of it was sending him towards his imminent death, but Naruto wasn't finished yet. He brutally twisted the man's wrist, snapping the bone and causing it to rip through Mizuki's flesh.

"WHO HIRED YOU!?" Naruto roared, his eyes flashing red for a brief second.

"Uchiha!" The silver-haired man exclaimed desperately, then turned his head to the side and vomited blood all over the floor. He shuddered violently, his injuries gushing, until he finally went still. His eyes glazed over, finally surrendering to death.

Hinata went completely rigid, taking in what he had told her. She'd been hoping that Danzo had been the one behind everything, as it would've been easier for her to accept. However, as crestfallen as she was to learn this, she wasn't nearly as shocked as Sakura.

"S-Sasuke-kun was behind this...?" Sakura's voice cracked before trailing off.

**Please review if you have spare time. Next chapter will probably taking me another two weeks or so, but I'm aiming for sooner. Thank you for your patience ^_^;**


	16. Chapter 16

**Damn, I can't believe that it's been almost a month since I updated...wtf... Yeah, my laptop kind of shit the bed, so until I can afford a new one, I've been forced to use other means to continue my story -_-; So yeah, it's taking longer than I wanted. But regardless, I still plan on finishing this story, even if it kills me! On that note, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 16**

The room was filled with a heavy, eerie silence as Mizuki's revelation sank in. Uchiha. Other than Naruto and Hinata, everyone else appeared to be in a state of shock.

"I can't believe it..." Ino trailed off. "The Uchihas seemed so nice..."

"Never met the fuckers," Hidan stated flatly. "But they were on the list of suspects, right?"

Hinata nodded briefly. "They were. Them and Danzo. I was honestly hoping that Danzo was behind everything, but it was wishful thinking I suppose."

"Naruto shrugged. "It sucks, but at least now we know, I guess."

"But it doesn't make any sense," Sakura murmured tearfully. "W-why would he? Why would Sasuke-kun do something like that?"

Hinata stared down at Mizuki's corpse for a several moments, then glanced over at a distraught Sakura. "We don't know if Sasuke was behind this. I could easily have been Itachi."

"But it could be both of them. Or just Sasuke-kun," Sakura sniffled, hugging herself.

"That is a possibility," Hinata admitted. "But now that we know who we're dealing with, I can make my next move accordingly. The mansion must be cleaned up immediately, and from there, I will prepare for the next step. In three days, everything will be settled once and for all."

"And what do you plan to do, Hinata-sama?" Pain inquired.

The young woman smiled thinly. "Invite the Uchihas over for dinner, of course."

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

The remainder of the day was spent gathering up the dozens of corpses throughout the property and cleaning up any evidence left behind. While Naruto, Pain, Hidan, and Deidara disposed of the bodies in several undisclosed locations, the rest of the servants worked on getting the mansion back in order. Rugs and curtains that had been splattered with blood were destroyed. The floor, walls and ceilings had to be wiped down and sterilized. Shattered glass, wood splinters, and more debris needed to be swept up. Several pieces of furniture and decor were thrown into the furnace, with replacements quickly ordered in lieu of the destroyed items. Hinata had been concerned about the dismembered corpses, as she had no explanation to give as to why they'd been so brutally torn apart. Luckily, neither Neji, nor the servants questioned the reasoning behind the macabre. It was likely that they didn't want to know.

By the time Naruto had returned with the other three, Hinata was in the middle of a meeting with Kakuzu. Although she had spoken with the man earlier in the day, he'd returned to inform of some rather alarming news.

"Danzo was found dead about an hour ago," Kakuzu told her. His appearance was once again hidden by his dark hood and mask, as he had just returned from the investigation.

Hinata frowned slightly, holding her hands together on her desk. "What was the cause of death?" She glanced sideways at Naruto, noticing his presence, then returned her attention back to the masked man. She had since changed out of the maid's uniform, replacing it with a simple white button-up blouse and a black pencil skirt with a slit going up the right side.

"From what I discovered, Danzo was at his home, hosting a party of some sort. It appeared that several of the guests had brought gifts, including a bottle of alcohol that was left anonymously. Within the span of twenty minutes, Danzo had two glasses of the alcohol, then began to act strange. He started sweating and looked rather disoriented. Soon after that, he collapsed onto the floor and began to convulse. His guests panicked and called an ambulance, but the time they showed up, Danzo had died. I believe that he was poisoned. Someone wanted him dead, and I can't help but think that whoever killed him is probably the same person that has been targeting you."

"The Uchiha brothers," Hinata mused.

Although she wasn't willing to admit it, Naruto was aware of how hurt she was by the revelation. She'd known them for the majority of her life, and had come to trust them over the years. Now it all seemed like a cruel, blatant lie. Naruto could see the desolation behind Hinata's eyes, though she kept it well-hidden from everyone else

"Interesting facts about the Uchihas," Kakuzu mumbled, taking a sheet out of the folder he was holding. "In the past few years, death seems to be a very prominent factor with that family."

Hinata looked at him, puzzled. "Elaborate."

"As you know, Itachi and Sasuke's parents died about two years ago. Fugaku and Mikoto were killed in a car accident after the vehicle they were driving in lost control. Their car hit the side of a building at nearly seventy miles an hour, which killed them upon impact," he told her from the report. "Eight months before that, an uncle was killed in a plane crash. Their cousin, Shisui, was found dead last year, hanging from the ceiling by his neck in an apparent suicide. Another cousin, Kagami, was stabbed to death by an intruder when he returned home. And six months ago, their aunt was killed by a mugger on her way out of work. So within the past three years, six Uchihas have died."

"You don't think Itachi and Sasuke are behind their own family's murders, do you?" Hinata questioned.

"I'm not saying that they were behind it. But I felt that it was important to let you know that bit of information," Kakuzu told her. "And now with Danzo gone, it looks like your only suspects left are the Uchiha brothers. Do you need me to do any further investigation of the matter, or do you plan on just taking over from here?"

Hinata contemplated for a moment, then reached into her desk. She retrieved a thick stack of bills and handed over to the miserly man, noticing how his strange eyes lit up when he saw the money. "I'll take it from here. Thank you for your time and efforts, Kakuzu-san. It was a pleasure working with you."

"The pleasure is all mine," Kakuzu snickered, stuffing his payment into his coat. They briefly shook hands, before the man turned and left the office, leaving Hinata alone with Naruto.

"So, are you ready for this?" Naruto asked, leaning down so that he was closer to her.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied calmly, rising from her seat. "Now all I have to do is figure out which one of them did it."

Naruto rolled his eyes and sighed. "I've offered this plenty of times before, but I can just to their mansion and rip them both to shreds, if you want. It'll make things so much more simple."

"No," Hinata responded adamantly. "I know that I could ask you to do that, and then my problems will be over. But there will be absolutely no satisfaction by doing it that way. I need to confront the two of them and demand some answers. I want revenge, but I want all the information I can get regarding this situation. I want to know their reasoning behind what they did. I need that closure, if nothing else."

The blond looked at her with amusement. "Did they accept your invite?"

"They did. I gave them a three day notice because I can't stand to wait any longer than that. But it would've been extremely rude to ask them to come tonight or tomorrow. It's necessary to take the correct measures if you want to do something right," Hinata pointed out. "In the meantime, there's something else that I need to address once and for all."

Naruto noticed the stack of envelopes on her desk, each of them closed with a gold seal. They were an ivory shade, and gold lettering spelled out one name on each envelope.

"What are those?" Naruto asked, quirking an eyebrow as she picked them up.

Instead of answering his question, she up at him with a melancholy expression. "Naruto-kun, could you please ask Neji and the household staff to gather in the main foyer of the mansion? I need to speak to them about a very important issue that can no longer be put off. I will be downstairs shortly."

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

"So...what does Hinata want to talk to us about?" Tenten asked once Naruto had rounded them all up into the designated area.

He shrugged carelessly. "The hell if I know. She just asked me to gather you all up and have you wait here."

"I wonder what it's about," Ino mused, then suddenly looked over at Sai with alarm. "You don't think she wanted to talk to us about what we did last week, do you?"

Sai's face turned red and he nervously scratched the back of his head. "Oh, dear... I hope not..."

"And what exactly are you two referring to?" Neji asked, frowning at them.

"Nothing important," Tenten said with a dismissive laugh. "They were just having an inappropriate conversation..." She didn't want to admit that she'd walked in on Sai and Ino attempting to get intimate inside one of the closets. While the rest of the staff had already found out about that little encounter, it was better if Neji didn't know.

Deidara snorted and gestured towards Hidan. "If anyone is going to get yelled at for 'inappropriate' conversations or behavior, it's that bastard over there, un."

"Hey, fuck off," Hidan sneered, indignantly crossing his arms in front of his chest. "So I swear a little. Big fucking deal."

"I think you have a warped sense of what 'a little' means," Sakura remarked flatly.

The silver-haired male rolled his eyes. "Whatever, it's not like Hinata's ever given a damn about my swearing."

"Then what does she want to talk to us about? She wanted us all to be here, so it must be something important," Konan pointed out.

"That's what I figured," Pain added thoughtfully.

Tobi raised his hand in enthusiastically. "Oh! Maybe Hinata-sama is throwing a talent show and wants us all to participate!" He was met with confused stares.

"And why would Hinata be throwing a talent show?" Sasori asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because talent shows are fun! And I can show off the interpretative dance that I've been working on!" The masked man gushed, unable to contain his excitement. "All I need is a costume and then I'll be ready to go! I was thinking spandex? Maybe lime green with rhinestones! Any thoughts?"

"Thanks for that disturbing visual, un," Deidara remarked with a shudder. "Please excuse me while I bleach my brain."

Hinata appeared at the top of the staircase, holding the stack of envelopes that Naruto had seen on her desk earlier. She wordlessly descended the steps, her heart heavy. Her lavender eyes seemed to hold no emotion, as she suppressed all of the feelings that were welled up inside her. It had been a painful decision, but in the end, it would be for the best. And she could no longer put if off, especially now that she would be moving forward with her confrontation with the Uchihas.

"What's going on, Hinata?" Tenten asked with bewilderment.

Instead of answering the question, Hinata silently handed out the envelopes, until everyone but Naruto had received one.

"What are these?" Neji asked without opening his.

"I'll explain in a moment, but first, open them," she replied stoically.

Naruto watched as everyone warily opened their envelopes, then glanced over at Hinata. The young woman was trying her hardest to keep her emotions hidden, but he knew better.

"What...what is this?" Sakura asked, her eyes wide with shock as she held up a check.

"I wrote out a check for each of you, and with that being said, I expect everyone to vacate the property within twenty-four hours," Hinata told them in a calm, even voice.

Ino gaped at her with shock. "B-but why? What's going on?"

"It wasn't an easy decision for me to come to, but in regards for everyone's safety, it is what I felt to be the best solution. I can not allow any of you to be put in further jeopardy. Everyone knows the situation I am currently in, and it's going to get worse from here on out. Those checks will easily sustain you for quite some time. Your living expenses will be easily be taken care of, as well as other financial means. Not only that, but each of you will receive one of the cars inside the garage," she informed them, then turned her attention to her cousin. "Neji-nissan, I will be signing the company and all of its assets over to you. I know that you'll have no trouble managing it, and you're free to do as you please with whatever it is you chose to do with it."

"Now wait a minute," he snapped angrily. "Why are you doing this?"

"You already know the answer to that," Hinata replied. "All of you do. I don't know what the outcome of my meeting with the Uchihas will be, but I don't intend on having any of you caught in the crossfire. This is between them, and me. Naruto will be here to support me, but it's too dangerous for the rest of you. With that being said, it is better to make sure I have everything taken care of ahead of time. If anything should happen to me, I don't want to company to go under, nor do I want anyone to be stuck in a financially difficult situation. Hence the checks I wrote out to everyone. I apologize for the abrupt decision, but I can't afford to wait around any longer, and the sooner you all leave, the better."

Hidan gaped at her, as did everyone else. "You're fucking kidding, right?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Hinata retorted in a harsher tone than she'd intended. "I've already lost my parents and my sister. Not to mention the servants that were working that night. How do you think I'm going to feel if I lose any of you?"

"So, what, you think we're just going to get up and abandon you? How do you think we're going to feel if anything happens to you? We all knew what the risks were when we decided to stay," Tenten pointed out. "I can't speak for the others, but I'm not going anywhere." With that, she tore up the check in several pieces, defiantly dropping the shreds onto the floor.

Hinata watched as the others followed suit, tears stinging her eyes. "Why are you doing this? Why won't you make things easier and just leave? I'll never forgive myself if anything happens to you guys, and-"

"And we won't forgive ourselves if anything happened to you," Konan lightly interjected. "We all suffered losses that night, so let us help you."

The indigo-haired girl sighed in exasperation. "I really didn't want it to be like this..." She felt Naruto clasp a hand on her shoulder, and glanced up at him.

"I don't think you're going to have a choice," he quipped. "Might as well let them do as they please."

"We're capable of holding our own against those Uchiha bastards and whatever they send our way," Pain added. "I think we proved that point already."

"Sure, the place looked like hell afterwards, but it was to be expected, un," Deidara mumbled.

Sasori gestured over towards the staircase with his good arm. "I've already implemented new traps to replace the ones that were triggered. It's a bit boring having to do everything from behind the scenes, but it's better than nothing, I suppose."

"Well, there you have it, Hinata," Neji remarked with an uncharacteristic half-smile. "Looks like everyone has spoken with mutual agreement."

"You are all way too stubborn," Hinata murmured in defeat, turning back towards the staircase. "The Uchihas have accepted my invitation. They will arrive Friday evening, at around five o'clock, so prepare yourselves." With that, she began to ascend the steps.

"We'll be ready, Hinata-sama," Sai assured her.

Hidan snickered. "It's about time we got some fucking action around here. It was getting boring as hell."

"And don't worry about any of us dying," Tenten called after Hinata with a laugh. "We'll all make it through this, including you."

_If only they knew..._ Hinata absently thought to herself.

**Boring chapter, but somewhat necessary. Though I must warn you, the next chapter may contain some lemons, so proceed with caution. I'm hoping that I don't have to wait another fucking month before I update, but it's not like I can really do much about it now. Please review and I'll try to get the next chapter posted as fast as I can.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Yay, I finally, FINALLY updated. Only took me several months thanks to the fact that my old laptop busted...but now I have a new one! And it's shiny! Though I am kind of pissed that there are so many typos in the previous chapter and I am now just realizing it... What the hell, was I drunk or something? Damn... Oh well, too lazy to fix it at this point. But now I can continue my long-halted story after many nights of me bitching about the fact that I couldn't. On that note, please enjoy this chapter! It took me awhile to get it the way I wanted it, and I'm honestly still kind of MEH about it, but I really just want to get it done and over with.  
**

_WARNING: LEMON. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED._

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 17**

Hinata emitted a heavy sigh as she entered her bedroom, mentally drained from the brief meeting. They had all rejected her request without a second thought. It was both touching and incredibly frustrating at the same time. Didn't they realize just how dangerous the situation was becoming? Were they all really that dense? She glanced over her shoulder to see Naruto stepping into the room, a smirk on his face.

"And you say that I'm stubborn," he teased, clearly amused by her irritation.

"You are," Hinata responded flatly. "But they're just as bad apparently." She ran a hand through her hair as she walked over towards the window, stopping in front of it to peer outside. The sky had grown dark with clouds, indicating that it would be raining soon.

Naruto snickered. "But that's not exactly a bad thing."

The young woman continued to stare out the window with a bleak expression on her face. "It's going to make things that much more difficult. I had really been hoping that they'd leave, but now they're getting dragged into something that could get them all killed. How am I supposed to respond to that?"

"Well, what would you have done?" Naruto asked, quietly closing the bedroom door behind him to eliminate the chances of someone eavesdropping into their conversation.

"That's not the point," Hinata retorted, watching the gray clouds collect into a dreary cluster.

Naruto crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned against the wall. "But you can't argue that you would've done exactly as they'd done," the demon added, the smugness never leaving his handsome face. "So you really can't get mad-"

Hinata whirled around with tears in her eyes, cutting him off with her own words. "Of course I'm not mad at them. How can I be? They're willing to potentially give up their lives in order to protect me. But do you really think that that's what I really want? Do you honestly think that I want to watch as my friends are slaughtered before me, just like my family was?" Her soft voice was growing harsher with each sentence, and her hands balled into fists as her body trembled with a combination of rage and despair. "I can't deal with that again. I just can't!" The tears began to trickle down her cheeks just as it began to rain outside, as if her emotions were synced with nature. She lowered her head, unable to meet his surprised gaze, and her fingernails dug into her palms as she struggled not to break down. "I don't want to lose anyone else!"

Thunder boomed in the distance, and the rain began to beat down towards the ground at quicker pace. It trickled down the windows in thin rivulets, similar to the tears running down Hinata's face. She was ready to drag the Uchihas to hell with her, but she was in no way shape or form prepared to lose anyone else in the process. She was about to speak again, only to feel Naruto swiftly wrap his arms around her petite frame and pull her against his chest.

"I know that you've experienced so much pain," he murmured, resting his head atop hers as he held her close. His shirt immediately became damp with her tears, though he was not bothered by the fact. "You've gone through so much hell in these past few weeks. Much more than what most people deal in their lifetime." He gently stroked her soft, sleek hair with one hand, using his other arm to hold her tight against him. "I can't promise anything, but I'll try my hardest to make sure you don't have to go through any more pain. I'll do my best to protect your friends, even if it makes my job _slightly_ harder."

Hinata didn't respond, instead wrapping her arms around his waist as she continued to bury her face in his chest. It felt so nice to be in his tight, warm embrace and she didn't want it to end. At a loss for words, she silently gazed up at him, her pale lavender eyes locking with his vibrant blue ones. Although her voice didn't seem to want to work, she offered the tiniest of smiles as if to thank him.

Naruto brushed a tear off of her cheek with his thumb, wordlessly leaning down so that his face was in close proximity to hers. A light blush appeared on Hinata's cheeks, but she did not attempt to pull away. Instead, she simply stared up at him, her soft pink lips slightly parted in an adorable manner. Unable to restrain himself any longer, the blond male leaned down a bit more and brought his mouth to hers. He cupped her face in his hands, savoring the sweetness of her lips as he kissed her passionately. Hinata gasped lightly, but reciprocated the affection by moving her arms up so that they were around his neck. The kiss grew more intense as Naruto felt his self-control rapidly melt away to give in to his desire. He pressed the girl against the wall, slipping his tongue into her mouth lustfully.

Hinata moaned into the kiss, running one of her hands through Naruto's hair. She gasped softly as he playfully nipped her lower lip, feeling his fingertips brush up against the choker around her neck. In one swift movement, Naruto effortlessly tore it away, carelessly tossing it aside. He lowered his mouth to her exposed neck, kissing the mark ever-so-gently. Hinata whimpered needfully, causing the demon to smirk to himself. He had grown hard, his lust increasing with each passing second. His teeth dug into the side of her neck, hard enough to make Hinata cry out without breaking the delicate skin.

"Naruto-kun," the indigo-haired girl nearly whispered, closing her eyes in ecstasy. She was aware of the hardness between Naruto's legs, feeling it prod against her while she was trapped against the wall. Her heartbeat quickened with both excitement and nervousness. She could feel her legs growing weak and was grateful that the wall prevented her from sinking down to the floor.

Naruto continued to ravish her lustfully, nibbling and kissing her neck and collarbone for several seconds, one arm wrapped firmly around her waist. His lips met hers again, and it was that moment when he realized he couldn't hold back anymore. He pulled Hinata away from the wall and spun her so that her back was now facing in the direction of her bed. Without breaking the kiss, Naruto pressed himself against her body, forcing her back several steps until he had her right where he wanted her. Hinata's eyes widened slightly in surprise as she felt herself falling onto her bed, with him right on top of her.

Naruto continued to kiss her for several seconds, pinning her against the bed with his weight. His erection brushed against Hinata's thigh, the throbbing impossible to ignore by now. He rubbed himself against her, smirking into the kiss when he noticed her cheeks turned a darker shade of pink. A moment later, he sat up so that he was straddling Hinata's waist and carelessly pulled his shirt off. The blond male nonchalantly discarded it onto the floor, then wasted no time tearing at Hinata's button-up blouse, exposing the lacy white bra underneath it seconds later. His cerulean eyes scanned longingly over her breasts, the tops of them swelling irresistibly over the cups. Hinata's blush deepened but she did not shy away from him. She gazed up at him with half-lidded eyes, and her breathing quickened a bit, now equally excited and apprehensive. Naruto reached down and squeezed her breast, loving the way it felt against his fingers. Hinata emitted a soft gasp, followed by a series of pleasured moans while Naruto massaged the soft mound. Fingertips found their way under the thin lace of the bra, brushing up against her stiffening nipple.

"Do you like that?" Naruto teased when she writhed beneath him. "How about this?" He pinched her nipple, snickering when she let out a startled yelp.

"D-don't do th-that," Hinata sputtered out, attempting to arch her back while he tormented her, finding it futile under his weight.

The demon lowered himself so that his face was only inches from hers, the cocky smile on his face unwavering. "Why? Do you not like it?" He pinched her again, playing with the nipple between his thumb and index finger.

Hinata tore her gaze away in embarrassment, unable to deny that the fact that she was enjoying it. Immensely, at that. Still, it felt slightly unfair that Naruto was in complete control of the situation, making her feel even more vulnerable. "E-enough," she stammered, trying to arch her back again when he gave her another pinch.

"Why?" Naruto asked with a lazy smirk on his face. "If you say that you don't like it, I'll stop. Just say the words."

"Naruto-kun," she warned, her voice a bit firmer as she sat up a bit, supported by her elbows. "Get off."

"Aww, look at you, trying to be all intimidating," he teased in response. "So cute. But if you want me to get off, then you'll have to _make_ me."

Hinata tilted her head slightly, feeling a bit bolder. "Then I suppose you don't want me to remove my bra? Very well." She relaxed and laid back down, confident that he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to discard the article of clothing.

"Oh, so that's what you were getting at? Why didn't you just say so?" With that, Naruto stuck his finger in between the cups of her bra and gave it a sharp snap, causing it to tear open.

"H-hey!" Hinata squeaked out, caught off guard. "There was a clasp in the back, you didn't have to rip it!"

Naruto shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, but this was easier." He pushed the cups of her bra aside, fully exposing her chest. However, before he could begin his assault on those smooth breasts, Hinata reached up and quickly undid his pants. It seemed only fair at this point, if nothing else. However, the demon took that as an opportunity to grab her hand and stuff it down the front of his jeans. As soon as her trembling hand came in contact with his boxer-clad manhood, he let out a relieved sigh with a shudder.

Hinata squeezed his member a few times, feeling it pulsating against her palm. She snaked her hand beneath his boxers, wrapping her fingers around his hardened shaft. Doing so caused Naruto to groan, and he leaned down to kiss the shell of her ear.

"I want you. Now," he added, twitching when he felt her thumb drag against the very tip of his leaking organ. "Fuck..."

Without breaking eye contact, Hinata removed her hand from his nether regions and brought her fingers to her mouth, licking away the pre-cum that had coated her thumb. That was all it took for Naruto to pull her up into a sitting position, tearing her open blouse and ruined bra away from her body. As he impatiently removed his pants and boxers, Hinata discarded her skirt and panties almost as quickly. As soon as they were both completely naked, Naruto pushed her down against the bed once more, this time positioning himself between her legs. His rigid member throbbed against her wet entrance, the tip of it poking ever-so-slightly into her.

Hinata gazed up at Naruto, whom caught the apprehensiveness in her eyes. However, she was just as ready as he was, and she let out a needy mewl when he rubbed his tip against her womanhood a second time.

"Are you ready for this? It's going to hurt a little," Naruto warned her, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear as the tip of his cock continued to tease the girl.

"I-I know," Hinata murmured. "I don't care. Just...be gentle. Please," she quickly added, a hint of fear in expression.

The demon chuckled softly. "I'll try." With that, he slowly slid himself inside of her, taking careful measure not to go too fast. However, within seconds Hinata hitched a sharp intake of air and she let out a cry of pain. Naruto was well-endowed below the belt, and the fact that she was a virgin made her even more painfully aware of that fact. She reached up and grabbed onto his muscular shoulders, whimpering as his member slipped even deeper within her tight walls. Her body trembled slightly beneath his, her nails digging into him as the pain grew more intense. Naruto brought his lips down to hers, pausing for a few moments to help calm her down. He kissed her deeply for several seconds, his hand cupping the back of her head. His fingers entwined with her soft, glossy locks, and his cock pulsated inside of her. He once again began to ease himself even deeper into her, drowning out her cries by continually kissing her. Seconds later, he was all the way in, her hot, tight walls squeezing him in the most satisfying of ways.

Hinata gasped, then relaxed slightly as the initial wave of pain subsided. She still felt some discomfort, but it was no longer excruciatingly painful. Naruto went gently at first, slowly sliding himself back and forth inside her. He kissed her forehead, then her lips again as he kept up with the rhythmic movements. Hinata wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him tightly as he made love to her. She moaned in ecstasy, arousing Naruto even more than he already was, and causing him to increase his speed. His movements grew slightly more forceful as well, but he restrained himself from going further than that. After all, he didn't want to accidentally kill the poor girl during her first time ever; that seemed to be a rather cruel way to go out. Supporting himself with one arm, he used his other hand to reach down and grope at Hinata's breast once again. He gave the soft mound a firm squeeze, his hips still moving forward and back as he continued to slide in and out of her. His lips found hers again, this time giving her lower lip a playful nibble. Hinata responded with her own kisses, her hand resting on the back of Naruto's head.

"Fuck," Naruto muttered, his naked body pressed deliciously against Hinata's. He let go of her chest, choosing to grab Hinata's hand as he sped up one last time, using more force than he had been previously. His fingers entwined with hers, clutching tightly.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata whimpered, her teary lavender eyes fixed on his blue ones. It felt amazing, but she didn't know just how more she could take before she reached her limit. Her walls tightened around his cock, feeling him pulsating inside her.

"Just a little longer," Naruto whispered into her ear, nipping her earlobe a moment later. "Almost done..." In all reality, he could've continued for at least another hour, given his typical stamina. However, he knew that Hinata couldn't handle going on for much longer, so he decided to speed things along. Not only that, but he was in dire need of a release himself. He kept up with the momentum for several more seconds, getting closer and closer with each thrust.

Hinata was panting by now, her hand squeezing Naruto's firmly. Her heart was racing with adrenaline, and she felt herself tighten around his shaft just as the blond male let out relieved groan. He had hit his peak just as she had reached hers. Naruto filled Hinata up with his warm fluid in quick spurts, a satisfied grin on his face. Her walls hugged his member tightly as he continued to cum deep inside of her, and then relaxed once again.

"Damn, that was good," Naruto muttered appreciatively, feeling himself go limp. "Fuck...That was good... Oh, are you okay? Hinata?"

Breathing heavily and unable to speak at the moment, Hinata simply nodded her head slightly in response. She was exhausted and felt a bit of discomfort, wincing as Naruto pulled out of her. The demon gave her a quick kiss, then rolled off to lie down beside her on the bed. With a smug smirk, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to him, tugging up the blankets as well.

"So... I didn't accidentally fuck you to death," he pointed out teasingly.

After a few moments, Hinata finally managed to catch her breath. She gazed up at him, completely spent from their session. "This doesn't void our contract, does it?" she asked worriedly. "You've mentioned before that you wanted me to be a virgin when it was finally time for our contract to be fulfilled."

Naruto shrugged nonchalantly. "It was initially a preference, yeah. But in the end, I decided that I'd rather steal your innocence on a more personal level. Sure, souls taste better from virgins, but it wasn't actually necessary for you to be one." He looked at her for several seconds, his expression turning serious. "It's kind of strange, really. Even though you are no longer a virgin, you still maintain your purity..."

"What do you mean by that?" Hinata asked, slightly confused.

"Hell if I know," he answered carelessly with a lazy smile. "Probably just means that your soul will still be just as mouth-watering as ever. I just get to sleep with you as often as I'd like in the meantime."

Hinata sighed, snuggling up to him. "I suppose." Despite her feigned indifference, she couldn't find herself disliking the idea. If she only had a few days left until the meeting with the Uchihas, she might as well make them count.

**Okay. Done. Finally. Stupid fucking chapter that took me ages to finally complete! The next chapter will be out in no later than one week (yes, I know that my timing has been very off, but I'm serious this time). Anywho, I hope that this chapter was enjoyable, and I tried to make it convincing of the situation in regards to the story. If you like it, then yay! If not, I don't care because I'm just glad that this stupid chapter is finally done!**


	18. Chapter 18

**I apologize for the delayed update. I got my wisdom teeth taken out and have felt like absolute shit for the past two weeks. Also, my laptop has been annoyingly slow considering that I've barely even used it. Anyway, I finally finished up this damn chapter so that I can begin working on the next one. I hope you like it and please excuse any stupid mistakes I may have made during my pain med induced state. Also, if you don't like lemons, you may want to skip this chapter. Otherwise, carry on reading :3  
**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 18**

Hinata awoke a few hours later to the sound of running water from inside her bathroom. She sighed groggily, turning onto her side and hugging the sheet to her body. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and she discovered that Naruto was no longer in bed with her. However, the water shut off and the blond male emerged from the bathroom a moment later.

"Oh, so you're awake?" Naruto was just as naked as she was, and he walked over towards the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," Hinata murmured, wincing slightly at the discomfort she felt in her lower regions. As incredible as the sex had been, she was still dealing with the typical soreness associated with losing one's virginity. Not only that, but she noticed traces of blood on the sheets, as well as the dried remnants of their arousal. With a brief look of disgust, Hinata moved the dirtied bedding off her body and attempted to get up, only to hiss in pain.

Naruto smirked and swept the girl up in his arms, snickering when she blushed. "I'm not surprised. I was a little rough on you, I suppose." He carried Hinata into the bathroom, where a filled bathtub awaited them. "We both need to clean up, and what better way than to take a bath?"

"Um, I don't know-" Hinata began to protest, only for Naruto to step into the large, round bathtub and sink down with her still cradled in his arms.

"Why so nervous?" Naruto teased flirtatiously, as he kissed her shoulder. "This is innocent compared to what we were doing earlier."

"I guess," the young woman mumbled, allowing herself to relax.

The water did feel nice, and being in Naruto's arms felt even better. However, as amazing as it was, she couldn't help but mentally scold herself. Her mind was a confused mess at the moment, unsure of what to think of regarding the mixed emotions she was experiencing. What was she honestly expecting to come from this? Naruto was a demon, after all. He couldn't possibly feel any sort of love for her, or anything for that matter. He'd told her himself shortly after they'd met that he was incapable of feeling anything even remotely close to love. Despite that, she couldn't deny her own feelings for the male, and she felt a closeness to him that was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before.

"Something on your mind?" Naruto asked, interrupting her thoughts as he reached down to cup her breast.

"Nothing important," she replied dismissively, her cheek resting against his chest.

The blond did not look convinced, as he could tell when she was lying. He decided not to press the issue, however, and gave her breast a firm squeeze. "Well, I can tell you what I'm thinking about. Maybe you can guess..." His hand trailed down and disappeared beneath the water, until he touched the smooth mound between her thighs. He smirked when she gasped, both from pleasure and discomfort. "I guess you're a bit too sore for another round. And it's getting late, so maybe I should just let you rest for the night," he mused, but didn't appear disappointed.

"I'm sore...but it was worth it," Hinata admitted with a small smile.

"Not bad for a virgin," Naruto quipped, turning her so that her back was pressed up against his chest. "Then again, you had a bit of practice on me that one time..."

Perplexed, Hinata glanced back at him. "What do you mean by that? 'Practice'?"

"Oh, it was that time I convinced you to drink. You got a little friendly with me, but I'm not surprised that you don't remember," he teased. "You drank quite a bit that night, and I'm honestly surprised that you didn't have a hangover the following morning. Pretty impressive."

"What exactly happened?" She asked, attempting to keep her tone calm, as difficult as it was.

Naruto chuckled softly, kissing her shoulder. "Nothing that I didn't enjoy. But don't worry, I didn't take advantage of you while you were in such a vulnerable state. It was tempting, but I behaved myself that night."

"What did I do?" Her voice was a bit more demanding now. "What happened? Tell me." It was obvious that she was not playing around.

"You kissed me and decided to go exploring down the front of my pants," he answered nonchalantly, as if he was discussing the weather.

"I _what!_?" Hinata's face turned red, shocked at what he'd revealed. "Please tell me you're joking."

Naruto shrugged indifferently, a smirk forming on his lips. "I'm not, but what's the big deal? I mean, we did just fuck a few hours ago. So there's no point in you being embarrassed by what happened in the past."

"And that is why I didn't want to drink that night," she deadpanned, the blush on her face gradually decreasing. Part of her wanted to drown herself. Or him. Possibly both.

"Why, because you were afraid of giving me a drunken handjob?" He asked with a flirty undertone as he continued to tease her.

"Oh, be quiet," the young woman mumbled. "No more drinking for me. No exceptions."

The demon snickered. "We'll see."

Hinata was silent for several seconds, as if she was thinking. When she spoke again, her tone was soft and melancholy. "I actually trusted the Uchihas, so it pains me to know that they were the ones who planned everything. I've known them since I was a child, and for them to do something so horrible..." Her voice trailed off and she bit her lip, forcing her tears back. She felt completely betrayed, though this was the first time she expressed such distress over the matter. "I feel like a complete fool. I wasn't surprised that they were suspects; I even expected that much, considering that they _are_ competitors and all. But I was truly convinced that Danzo had schemed the whole thing, not them. "I...I'm so damn stupid..."

Naruto turned Hinata around so that she was facing him. "Hinata-chan. You're not stupid, so don't ever fucking say that again. You were betrayed by people that were close to you, so it's no surprise that you're upset. It's to be expected." He leaned down slightly, his forehead touching hers as he gazed into her teary eyes. "I swear that I'll make sure they suffer. I don't care if that means I expose myself to Neji and the others. The walls will be painted with their blood by the time I'm finished with them. They deserve nothing less. Well, maybe I'll try to keep those expensive rugs clean so that Sai doesn't have a heart attack."

Hinata softly pressed her lips against his for a kiss, feeling his arms wrap around her. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

After washing away the remnants of their intense lovemaking, the couple eventually got out of what had cooled into lukewarm water. Hinata wrapped a towel around her body and exited the bathroom, feeling Naruto's watchful eyes on her.

"I wonder what the servants will say if they catch me leaving your room at this hour," the blond mused playfully. "Think I should tell them the truth?"

Hinata reached her dresser and rummaged through her drawers, a light blush staining her cheeks. "No, i-it's none of their business. And, I...um..." She trailed off, unable to finish.

"What?" Naruto tossed his towel onto the floor after a quick wipe down, standing there in all his naked glory. "C'mon, don't be shy."

She glanced at him, pulling a nightgown and a pair of panties from the dresser. Part of her wanted him to stay with her for the rest of the night, but she couldn't help but feel ridiculous for feeling that way. She was growing more attached to him than she'd anticipated, and hated herself for the feelings that were becoming more and more obvious. "No, never mind. I-it's stupid..." Hinata looked away from him shamefully, and pulled on the lacy white panties.

Intrigued, Naruto walked over to her and gently tilted her face up so that she had no choice but to meet his gaze again. "Tell me."

"It's nothing," she replied with a subtle hint of dejection, taking a step back so she could pull the satiny light pink nightgown over her head. "Just forget about it." She adjusted the sleepwear, fixing the thin straps and smoothing down the hem so that it was on properly.

"Tell me." His voice was firmer and more demanding, causing her to flinch. He couldn't help but regret his overly-harsh tone, and was genuinely surprised when he heard himself utter a word that he very rarely used. And even in the few times he did say it, it was in an entirely different manner of speaking. "Please."

Hinata tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, her lavender eyes nervously gazing at him. She could almost feel herself reverting back to her former, timid personality, and her blush grew darker. However, she forced herself to admit to him what she'd been pondering. "Would you, um...stay with me tonight?" Her heart was racing, and she braced herself for either a rejection or a snicker accompanied with a pat on the head.

"That's not a bad idea," Naruto remarked with a smirk, snaking his arms around her. "With everything that's happened, I really can't let you out of my sight now, can I?" He leaned down and nipped at the side of her neck that didn't have the mark, letting his teeth graze her porcelain skin.

Hinata shuddered with delight, melting against him as he grew more aggressive. She could feel him growing stiff as he began to ravage her lustfully, his hand gliding up her thigh and hiking up her nightgown. Since he was still naked, his growing erection was in plain view, just begging for another round. He felt her fingers wrap around his throbbing member, and reached up to give her ass a squeeze. To his amusement, Hinata reached down to caress his balls, and he crashed his lips against hers. Smirking into the kiss, he lifted her up and sat her down on the top of the dresser, already feeling himself leaking with arousal.

The indigo-haired girl did not protest, instead responding with her own passionate kisses. She felt him move her panties aside to give himself access, then gasped when his rigid cock began to slide into her. A cry escaped her lips, as she was still sore from earlier, but she did not try pushing him away. Once he was all the way in, she grabbed hold of his shoulders.

"Fuck," Naruto groaned, thrusting in and out of her tight core. She was soaked, clearly just as needy as he was.

Hinata whimpered softly, wrapping her legs around his waist. "Naruto-kun..." Her nails dug into his shoulders, and she moaned in ecstasy as the male rammed into her with more vigor. "Oh!" She gasped from a particularly harsh thrust, her walls clenching around him.

The blond quickened his pace, his hips bucking back and forth in rhythmic movements. He grabbed a handful of Hinata's hair and pulled, forcing her to look up at him. He leaned down to kiss her again, his tongue snaking into her mouth. The dresser banged against the wall from the momentum, but he didn't give a damn, and Hinata seemed too distracted to notice.

Over and over again, Naruto slammed into the young woman, and he viciously tore the front of her nightie to expose her breasts. He grabbed one of the soft mounds, squeezing it in his hand. With an animalistic growl, he nipped at her lower lip, his manhood pulsating deep within her.

After several minutes of panting, moaning, gasping, and thrusting, Naruto decided that he wanted Hinata to swallow his cum this time around. He quickly removed himself from her, then pulled the startled girl off the dresser and pushed her down so that she was kneeling in front of him. Hinata, realizing what he desired, took his penis into her mouth and began to suck on it. She swirled her tongue all along the shaft as her head bobbed up and down.

"Oh, fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck," Naruto mumbled, unable to utter any other word as she lapped away at his cock. He bucked his hips, feeling her reach behind him to grab hold of his firm ass.

Hinata tormented the tip of his manhood with her tongue, flicking it across the sensitive slit. Unable to handle her teasing, Naruto forced his entire length down her throat, a smug grin on his face. Hinata glanced up at him, then resumed the vigorous sucking. With one hand still on his backside, she used her other hand to grab hold of his balls, gently fondling them. She kept up with the motions, slowly chipping away at Naruto's sanity. His penis hit the back of her throat several times, and he was pleased to discover that she appeared to lack a gag reflex. That or she had exceptional control of it. He moved his hips back and forth, his fingers entwining in her lustrous hair as his breathing grew heavier. Close. He was getting close.

"Shit," he hissed, her fingernails digging into his ass. In his opinion, the rougher, the better, and Hinata seemed to have her own naughty streak. She looked so sweet and innocent, but was such an irresistible temptress at the same time. It was a perfect combination. "Fuck, I'm gonna cum!"

Almost immediately, a rush of warm fluid filled the girl's mouth. She closed her eyes, savoring the taste for a moment, before swallowing it. Naruto grunted softly, shuddering a bit as another spurt shot out of his member. Hinata eagerly swallowed every last drop of his seed, making sure to lick his member clean as well. Once she was finished, she delicately wiped her lips with the back of her finger, and glanced up at him cutely.

"Tasty," she remarked, then licked the small remnant off her finger, still on her knees in front of him.

"Plenty more where that came from," Naruto replied with a smirk. He reached down and grabbed hold of her wrists, helping her up into a stand.

Hinata looked down at herself, then back up at the blond. "You ripped my nightgown," she deadpanned.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Oops, my bad." He was not sorry in the least. "Not like you'll be needing it anyway."

She removed the torn nightgown, as well as the panties she'd been wearing, as they were soaked. "I suppose you're right. It's only fair, considering that you're naked as well."

"Exactly," Naruto agreed, then took her hand and tugged her towards the bed. "You need to get some sleep, my little Hinata-chan. You have a lot to think about over the next few days, so you'll need as much rest as possible."

"I already know my next move," she answered calmly, climbing onto the mattress. "All I can do now is wait. In less than seventy-two hours, everything will be over. May I make one last request, Naruto-kun?"

The demon quirked an eyebrow as he got on the bed beside her, pulling the blankets up. "What is it?"

"After you receive your payment, could you please call for medical attention if any of the others are injured during the confrontation? I hope that it is not asking for too much, as our contract will already be fulfilled by then. I just do not want anyone else to die if it can be avoided," she murmured. "Please."

Naruto was quiet for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Heh, yeah, I suppose I could do that at least."

To his surprise, Hinata leaned up and planted a kiss on his cheek, then snuggled up to him. "Thank you," she whispered, contently closing her eyes as her exhaustion took over.

Naruto wrapped an arm around her, holding her petite body against his while her head rested in the crook of his arm. Within minutes, the young woman was sleeping soundly, her face serene. Naruto, however, was wide awake, gazing down at the beautiful woman.

Three days. Seventy-two hours. No, less than that. His time with Hinata was coming to an end sooner than he'd realized, and it bothered him more than he'd ever imagined. He absently traced his finger over the marking on the side of Hinata's neck, then softly stroked her hair. What the hell was going on with him? He should've been excited that he was only a few days away from getting that precious soul of hers, as he'd been craving it ever since he'd laid eyes on her. But now a part of him was having second thoughts about the whole thing. Unfortunately, a deal was a deal, and it was not something he could simply go back on.

"Dammit..."

**Yeah, I am a pervert and wanted a second lemon. What of it!? You think I'm sick in the head!? Do you!? Oooh, a cookie! *dives to devour cookie in one bite, then finds a leftover pill from surgery and swallows it* Yeah...that's the stuff... Okay, sorry for the weirdness. Next chapter will be out in a few weeks. Unfortunately I go back to work tomorrow so I won't be able to start writing for a few days. But I'll try not to make the wait too long. On that note, BYYYEEEE!**


	19. Chapter 19

**So sorry for the long wait. My laptop was working like shit so I decided to see if I had a virus and let my friend take a look at it. For three fucking weeks. Only to tell me that there's nothing wrong with it, it's just slow as shit. Thanks, Best Buy. Fuckers. Anyway, I finally finished this chapter. Hope you enjoy it.**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 19**

"Well, I finally heard back about what the hell happened to my house." Neji didn't look happy as he stood in the doorway of Hinata's office. However, he did look moderately surprised to see that Naruto was not present.

Hinata rose from her seat, gazing at her cousin with wary curiosity. "And? What did they find?"

"Nothing."

"What?" Hinata frowned. "What do you mean 'nothing'?"

Neji smirked ruefully, shaking his head with disbelief. "The authorities didn't find anything strange. Nothing in my house caused the explosion. They didn't find any evidence of arson, and no bombs or any other type of explosives were found. It's like it just went up in flames for no apparent reason."

"But that's not possible," the indigo-haired woman remarked, frustrated. "_Something_ caused it. Your house couldn't have just spontaneously combusted like that."

"I know. But they're claiming that they didn't find anything suspicious."

Hinata thought for a moment, then sighed as she rubbed her temples with irritation. "They're either hiding something, or are over-looking something. I don't think that what happened to your house was an accident. I'm positive that it was planned out, and the fact that you're not getting any answers makes it that much more suspicious. If the Uchihas are behind everything, they could easily have paid off the authorities to keep them quiet and to make sure that you don't find out what really caused it."

"It's likely," Neji agreed, then crossed his arms in front of him. "Very likely, actually. The Uchihas have always had ties to the law enforcement, so it would be simple for them to get away with something like that."

"They won't get away with it," Hinata assured him, a hint of darkness in her eyes. "They'll pay for everything that they've done to this family, and then some. I've already told Pain not to schedule any appointments for the next few days, as I do not have time to worry about such things. Right now I need to focus on their arrival and making sure everything goes as planned."

_xxxxxxxxxxxxx_

Naruto walked down the corridor silently, a sullen expression on his face. He'd been having an ongoing battle inside his head since last night, confused and angry about his feelings for Hinata. No matter how hard he tried to dismiss them, those thoughts came back to haunt him seconds later.

"Dammit," he grumbled, running a hand through his golden hair. "What the hell is going on with me?"

"Naruto."

The demon paused, glancing over his shoulder to see Tenten coming up to him. He turned to face her, quirking an eyebrow questioningly. "What's up?"

Tenten stopped a few feet away from him, dressed in her usual maid's uniform. She hesitated for a moment, as if she was unsure what to say. "I, um... I wanted to...thank you."

"Thank me? For what?" Naruto stared at her, perplexed.

The brunette fidgeted a bit, trying to find the right words. "Well...for being there for Hinata. I mean...I understand that you're just her bodyguard and all, but... Well, I can tell that she's much happier with you around, even if she tries not to show it." She smiled sheepishly. "Hinata's personality has changed because of everything she's been through, and a part of her died after she lost her family. I honestly never thought that I'd ever see her smile again. A true, genuine smile, I mean. But whenever she's with you, I can see the radiance that used to be in her eyes before everything happened."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he remarked flatly.

"You might not see it...but I do. And so does everyone else. Even Neji-sama admitted that you seem to brighten Hinata's mood. She won't admit it, but I can tell that she really cares about you. And I know that you feel the same way about her," Tenten pointed out with a knowing smile.

Naruto shrugged carelessly. "Yeah, I care about her safety and well-being. I was hired to."

"You're just too stubborn for your own good," the female sighed with exasperation. "Should've figured. But still, I wanted to let you know that even if you don't think you make a difference in Hinata's life, you've been the biggest influence on her. Don't tell her I said anything," she added, chuckling nervously. "I'll never hear the end of it..." Tenten grew serious once again, and her gaze locked with his. "And whatever happens during her meeting with the Uchihas, please keep her safe."

"You don't need to worry about that," Naruto replied, a smirk spreading across his lips.

"Good. On that note, I've gotta get back to work." The brunette ran off, leaving Naruto behind to ponder his thoughts alone.

The blond sighed, running a hand through his hair again. "What the fuck..." He was still puzzled over his conflicting emotions, and Tenten had unwittingly added to the confusion. Sure, she'd meant well, and he appreciated the sentiment. But it only made things more complicated for him, and at the rate he was going, he'd have to release some pent-up rage. And soon, for that matter. He was getting quite ravenous, and ramen couldn't quite satisfy that type of hunger.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxx_

"Sakura. May I speak to you for a moment?"

Startled, Sakura whirled around to see Hinata standing a few feet away from her. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't even hear you coming. What do you need to talk to me about?"

"Well, I know that you've been pretty upset ever since we found out that the Uchihas are behind everything. And even though there is a chance that Sasuke was involved in everything, it's not a definite. I'm more suspicious of Itachi, to be honest with you. He can put on a facade easier than Sasuke can, which makes him more dangerous, in my opinion," Hinata confided with her.

"You really think that Sasuke is innocent?" Sakura asked hopefully.

The indigo-haired girl shrugged briefly. "I think it's more likely that Itachi is behind everything. It pains me to say such things, because of our family's history with theirs. I was convinced that Danzo was the one behind it all, but then he was found dead. And I find it eerie that six Uchihas have died within the last three years, including Itachi and Sasuke's parents. I don't know if they would have benefited in some way if their relatives were dead, but it doesn't sit well with me."

Sakura blinked in confusion, not quite following what Hinata was telling her. "Are you saying that Itachi, or maybe Sasuke-kun were behind those deaths?"

"I can't say for sure. I would hope not, but it's too suspicious for me to simply let go of it. Those deaths began three years ago, when Sasuke was sixteen and Itachi was nineteen. Since Itachi was legally an adult, he had more power to go about and do things, where Sasuke wouldn't have had access to resources like that. I think Sasuke was too young to go about and plan his family's deaths, but Itachi certainly would've had the freedom do go about his business privately. That is why I'm more convinced that Itachi is behind everything as oppose to Sasuke," she explained. "And, with that being said, I wanted to ask how you wanted to go about things when they show up."

"What do you mean?" Sakura questioned.

Hinata flashed her a brief smile. "Well, you mentioned that you'd be embarrassed if Sasuke ever saw you in your maid's uniform. So would you prefer to stay out of sight and away from him? Or would you like to be present, but wearing your normal clothes?" It was slightly ridiculous for her to bring up such trivial matters, but she felt it to be necessary, for Sakura's sake. The pinkette had been noticeably depressed ever since Mizuki had revealed the truth, and Hinata couldn't help but worry about her well-being. If nothing else, the least she could do was try to cheer her friend up, as Sakura needed that small sliver of hope that Sasuke was innocent.

"No...I've decided that I shouldn't be ashamed of what I am. If Sasuke-kun thinks less of me because I'm a maid, then so be it. I'd like to be present when he shows up, and I want to find out once and for all if he was responsible for what happened last month. My mother was one of the victims, so I need that closure, no matter how painful the truth might be. And if that's the case, then it won't matter how Sasuke-kun and I see each other," Sakura added with a weak half-smile.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Naruto returned, Hinata didn't question the splatters of blood on his clothing, knowing what he'd been up to. As a demon, he had a bloodthirst that could only be quenched by consuming souls, which he had warned her from the beginning. Hinata was not bothered by his random disappearances, as she knew that he would return the second she needed him. He was never gone for long, maybe thirty minutes tops while he went out hunting. Not only that, but he was careful enough to avoid the servants upon his return, as it would be a hassle to explain the crimson stains on him. What they didn't know didn't hurt them, and Hinata gave him the respect to do whatever he deemed necessary.

"Have a good meal?" Hinata asked as Naruto quietly entered her bedroom, closing the door behind him.

"Eh, nothing special," he remarked monotonously. "Pretty bland, to be honest with you. Tough to find a decent meal nowadays..." He leisurely walked into her bathroom, stripping off his shirt in the process. The souls he had feasted on hardly curbed his appetite, but they had been better than nothing. He wet a cloth and began to wipe away the blood that marred his tanned skin. "I take it as all was quiet while I was gone?"

Hinata pulled a light pink nightgown from her drawer, then unbuttoned her blouse. "Nothing out of the ordinary." By the time her bodyguard emerged from the bathroom, she was wearing nothing but a silky cream colored bra with matching panties. A delicate blush stained her cheeks as the male scanned her scantily-clad body, but she resisted the urge to cover herself up. He'd already seen everything, after all.

"That's good," he mused carelessly as he strode over to her. His mind was still jumbled with all of those conflicting emotions, but he couldn't resist the petite beauty before him. "Did you miss me?" he teased, reaching down to brush his fingertips against her breast.

Hinata shuddered a bit, but was too embarrassed to answer his question. "I-it's getting late. We should head to-" She stiffened when she felt his fingers skim over the scar on her stomach, and she jerked away. "Don't."

"And why not?" Naruto demanded, his piercing blue eyes locking with her lavender ones.

"Because it's ugly," she remarked with mild disgust, attempting to cover the small scar with her hand.

However, the blond gently moved her hand out of the way. "It's not fucking ugly._ Nothing_ about you is ugly." He sounded almost angry, and Hinata flinched slightly at his harsh tone.

"Well, I think it _is_ ugly," the girl retorted. "And it's a painful reminder of everything that's happened." To her surprise, Naruto dropped to his knees in front of her, and brought his lips to the scar, planting a soft kiss on it. "W-w-what are you d-doing?" Hinata stammered, gazing down at him with shock. "Knock it off."

"Proving to you that I don't think it's ugly," he answered nonchalantly as he rose to his feet. "Now come on, Hinata-chan, you probably should get to bed." He tugged her towards the bed.

Still blushing, Hinata got onto the mattress, only for Naruto to climb on top of her and pin her down. Despite his conflicting emotions, Naruto wasn't about to let them ruin what little time he had left with her, and wasted no time in crashing his lips against hers. He smirked into the kiss when Hinata moaned in response, her hands reaching behind his head and running through his hair.

Naruto cupped her face, supporting his weight with his elbows as he hovered over her. His tongue snaked into her mouth, and his rigid member throbbed between his legs. No matter how many souls he consumed, none of them satisfied him quite like the intimate sessions with Hinata. It would both puzzling and intriguing, but he was not about to ignore those desires. Hinata needed him just as bad, almost addicted to the way that he held her in his arms. She did not protest when he impatiently removed what little clothing they both wore before lustfully ravaging her all over again.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

"I can't decide what the hell I should cook for dinner, un," Deidara grumbled, cupping his chin in his hand as he slouched against the counter. "For when the Uchihas come over, I mean."

Hidan quirked an eyebrow, then sat back in his seat and put his feet up on the table. "Does it really fucking matter? They're going to die anyway, so who cares?"

The blond chef threw him a dirty look. "Regardless, cooking is a form of art, and I want them to taste a beautiful work of art before their demise. And get your nasty, muddy boots off the table, you damn slob!"

"Oh! Brownies! Tobi likes brownies!" Tobi cheerfully chimed in. "Feed them brownies!"

"The brownies can be for dessert," Hidan remarked with a smirk, ignoring Deidara's demand to get his feet off the table. "We can make 'em extra special, if you know what I mean."

Deidara stalked over towards Hidan and angrily smacked the groundskeeper's legs off the table, a look of disgust on his face as he looked at the glob of mud left behind. "Stop messing around, you assholes. I'm really debating on what I should make, un."

"Anything with a lot of meat," the silver-haired male snapped back, annoyed that Deidara had rudely robbed him of his comfort. "And don't bother with any fucking vegetables. Maybe a huge rack of ribs or something."

"Cookies! Oh, or cake! Or pie! Tobi loves pie!" The masked man exclaimed.

"Stop referring to yourself in third person, you idiot! It's fucking annoying," Hidan snarled.

"You two are hopeless," Deidara muttered, rolling his eyes. "A nice, tender steak that is properly seasoned would be a decent start. Maybe some steamed vegetables. Or maybe some type of soup. And then there's salad... I don't think dessert will be necessary, considering that they probably won't make it to that point, but it always pays to be prepared, un."

Hidan blinked with a blank expression on his face. "Um...what?"

"Tobi wants pie!" In his excitement, Tobi ran into a cast-iron skillet that was hanging from a nearby hook, falling backwards onto the floor as a result. Luckily for him, his mask protected his face against any damage.

Deidara face-palmed. "Why am I surrounded by morons?"

Hidan simply gave him the finger as he re-positioned himself so that his feet were up on the table once again, leaving more dried mud in their wake. He smirked at Deidara's twitching eye.

"Oh, can Deidara-sempai make apple pie? No, blueberry! Or pumpkin! No... chocolate cream! OOOH, TOBI WANTS ALL OF THEM!"

"I hate my life, un, " Deidara deadpanned, slowly losing his will to live as Tobi continued his pie rant while lying on the floor.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

Before Hinata realized it, the day that the Uchihas would arrive finally came. The mansion had been carefully cleaned and restored over the past few days, eliminating any evidence of the attack that had taken place. The servants had prepared all of the necessary accommodations for the evening, down to every little detail. At last everything was in place, and all Hinata could do was wait.

"Are you ready for this?" Naruto asked her. He was dressed in black pants, a white button-up shirt, and a black overcoat. His sleeves were casually rolled up to his elbows, and a handgun was concealed under his coat, tucked into the back of his belt. Just in case Hinata happened to need it.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied calmly as they waited in the foyer. The young woman had decided on a rather daring dress for the occasion. Her lilac colored corset top was held up by thin spaghetti straps, and laced up in front with a black ribbon. The cups of the corset were lined with a thin, delicate black lace, with the ribbon tied into a bow directly below the cups. The skirt was fitted, yet slightly flowing towards the bottom, a slit running up the right side of her dress towards her upper thigh. She wore black ballet flats to complete her attire, and the mark on her neck was covered by a lavender choker. Her long hair was half up and half down, tied with a ribbon that matched her choker, while her bangs framed her face.

"Are you sure you want to wear something so nice?" Naruto whispered in her ear with a smirk. "I can't guarantee that it won't get a little messy."

Hinata smiled faintly. "Does it matter? I won't be needing this outfit again after tonight."

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

**So concludes this chapter, making me feel like I actually accomplished something today. Next chapter comes out in a few weeks. Please review! ^_^**


	20. Chapter 20

**Sorry about the long wait yet again. Literally a week after finally getting my laptop back from its apparently non-existing problems, I lost my internet service...we all know the supreme hell of such things. Finally got it turned back on through a different service after several attempts from the bumbling cable guy who didn't seem to know what he was doing. So I went crazy and decided to get this damn chapter done before another potentially annoying inconvenience happens in my life. Plus, I really want to get this story done before I die an old, decrepit hermit who lives off of Ben &amp; Jerry's ice cream, as well as macaroni and cheese. This is my life and I am content... On that note, please read and review ^_^**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 20**

"Thank you for accepting my invite," Hinata said with a warm smile as she greeted the Uchiha brothers when Sai opened the front door. "I apologize for it being rather short notice."

Itachi waved his hand dismissively and offered a smile of his own. "Think nothing of it. We were happy to come over, as it's been far too long. Right, Sasuke?"

"It's a nice change from those boring appointments with potential buyers, and clients, and all of that irritating crap in between," Sasuke muttered as he rolled his eyes. "I hope you don't mind, but we brought along a few...friends."

No sooner than he had spoken, two unfamiliar men stepped out from behind them. One of them was a tall, pale blue-skinned male with shark-like features, pointed teeth and all as he grinned. His navy blue hair spiked upward, and he was dressed in a dark blue suit with a light blue tie. The second man wasn't as tall, but appeared to be slightly more muscular and broader. His orange hair spiked out in different directions, and his irises were an orange-red shade. He seemed more calm and reserved, offering a polite smile.

"This is Kisame, my personal bodyguard," Itachi introduced the the shark-man. "And that is Jugo, Sasuke's bodyguard. Please don't take it the wrong way, but we don't go anywhere without them lately. I'm sure you've heard about Danzo by now... It looks as though he was murdered, so Sasuke and I aren't taking any chances for security purposes."

Hinata nodded, her smile fading a bit. "Yes. I don't blame you at all. In fact, my bodyguard, Naruto, will be joining us as well."

The blond stepped forward, a smirk on his handsome face. "Nice to meet you."

"You look familiar," Itachi mused as Sai quietly closed the door and took their guests' coats. "You attended the Gala with Hinata, correct?"

Naruto shrugged nonchalantly. "Someone had to keep those creepy old guys away from her. I wouldn't want the wrong person to get too close to her."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly, but did not speak. However, his wary expression was not missed by Naruto, whom looked at the younger Uchiha brother with a hint of contempt. Hinata seemed more convinced that Itachi was responsible, but there was something about Sasuke that didn't sit well with Naruto. He had a coldness in his steely gaze that was off-putting. Either that or he was just a miserable asshole. Possibly both.

"Got a problem?" Naruto asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"None whatsoever," Sasuke replied coolly, unfazed by Naruto's brashness.

Sai softly cleared his throat, trying not to be impolite. "Shall we escort our guests to the dining hall, Hinata-sama?"

"Yes, let's do that. Thank you, Sai."

By the time the group made their way to the large luxurious dining room, Neji was already there waiting for them. He had insisted on being present during the confrontation, and despite Hinata's vehement protests, he was determined to be a part of it. Even as Itachi and Neji exchanged a friendly greeting to one another, Hinata couldn't help but notice the icy glares transmitting between Naruto and Sasuke. Kisame appeared to be moderately amused by their not-so-subtle dislike towards each other, while Jugo simply sweat-dropped with a sheepish smile.

"What the hell is up with you two?" the shark-man quipped, his arms crossed in front of his chest. "Do you know each other or something?"

"I attended his fancy little party, but I didn't have the privilege of getting to speak with the great Sasuke-sama," Naruto remarked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Sasuke's dark blue eyes narrowed. "I should've figured that you were just hired help of some sort. You have that low-class behavior that practically screams it."

"The fuck you just say?" Naruto growled menacingly. "Did you seriously just call me 'low-class'? You might want to reconsider the way you speak to those you aren't very familiar with. Because I don't take kindly to insults of any sorts."

"Alright, enough out of you two," Hinata spoke up, casting a warning glance at Naruto. "No need to be at each others throats. The food will be ready shortly, so everyone, please make yourselves comfortable."

The table was a rectangular shape, with seven place settings assembled accordingly. Hinata was seated on one side of the table, between Naruto and Neji, while Itachi and Sasuke sat in between Kisame and Jugo on the opposite side. Each setting consisted of a large plate, a smaller dish, silverware, a glass cup, and a crystal goblet.

Sai began to fill each glass with a crystal pitcher of water, not letting a single drop spill on the satin tablecloth. He then filled the goblets with an expensive sake that Hinata had specifically requested to be served.

"Shall I have the food brought out, Hinata-sama?" Sai questioned as soon as he had finished filling everyone's cups.

"Please," she answered. "Thank you."

As the butler briskly walked out of the dining room, Sasuke glanced over at the indigo-haired female. "You're very polite to your servants. That's rare to see."

Hinata took a small sip from her glass of water, the liquid moistening her soft, pink lips. "I don't understand why. Servants are human, too, so they deserved to be treated as such. I don't tolerate cruel behavior towards anyone, especially those who work for me."

"Sasuke could learn a thing or two about being polite to servants," Itachi joked lightly, earning a glower from his younger brother.

"Why am I not surprised?" Naruto muttered as he rolled his eyes, taking a generous swig of his sake.

Sasuke immediately turned his attention to the snide blond. "Care to repeat that?"

"Sasuke," Itachi warned. "Don't start. We are guests in Hinata-sama's household, so it would serve you well to mind your manners."

The younger Uchiha brother was about to speak, when three maids entered the dining room, each of them carrying a tray. Sasuke's eyes widened as he recognized a certain pink-haired woman that he'd met at the Gala. He stared at her for a few seconds as she silently set the tray down on the table. Sakura seemed to avoid his gaze and remained quiet, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. _Don't look at him. Don't talk to him. Just act like he's not there._

"Sakura? Is that you?"

The pinkette flinched when he spoke her name, but she refused to meet his gaze. Instead, she hurried out of the room without so much as glancing over her shoulder.

Sasuke looked both confused and a bit hurt, as he had no idea what to make of the situation. Since Sakura had bolted out of the room, he turned his attention to Hinata instead. "That girl's name is Sakura, right?"

"Yes," Hinata responded as Tenten and Ino placed the trays of food on the table. "Do you know her?"

"Well, kind of. We spoke for a little while at the Gala, but that was about it," he replied, his expression turning solemn. "I didn't know that she works for you."

"Now that you mention it, I recall seeing a few of your servants at the Gala," Itachi mused as he took a sip of water.

Hinata shrugged nonchalantly. "I figured that they deserved to enjoy a night out, and I knew that you wouldn't mind them attending."

"Oh, not at all," he remarked with a chuckle, then turned his attention to Ino and Tenten. "I hope you enjoyed yourselves."

"We did," they happily replied in unison, both of them blushing from his charm.

Sakura returned a moment later, carrying another tray of food towards the table. She was aware of Sasuke's eyes on her, but she pretended not to notice. Kisame and Jugo quietly talked amongst themselves, while Itachi began to converse with Neji, as he'd never gotten the chance to speak to him during the Gala. Tenten and Ino glanced at Sakura with knowing half-smiles as they sauntered out of the dining hall, while Hinata sweat-dropped as she watched Naruto casually polish off the rest of his sake in one massive gulp. Sai immediately stepped forward to refill the blond's glass, a hint of disapproval in his onyx eyes.

"Sakura."

The pinkette noticeably stiffened when Sasuke spoke her name, but she refused to speak or meet his gaze. Instead, she carefully set the tray down onto the table, though her hands were visibly shaky. It was difficult for her to function, knowing that the man she'd fallen for may very well been responsible for her mother's death, amongst the rest.

"Sakura," Sasuke repeated in a gentle voice. "Why won't you talk to me?"

The young woman forced herself to look at him, clearly anxious. "M-my apologies, Uchiha-san. I, um... I have to go." With that, she rushed out a second time, only for Sasuke to hurry after her.

"Hold on a second," he said, following her her out of the dining room. "Sakura, what's wrong with you?"

Now alone in the corridor with Sasuke, Sakura didn't know what to say or do. Part of her was thrilled that he recognized her, as she didn't know how much of an impression she'd left on him when they'd first met. However, she was angry and confused at the same time, having a mental battle with her emotions. Not only that, but she couldn't help but feel ashamed of the fact that he now knew that she was mere hired help.

"Um..." Sakura was at a loss for words. What should she say to him? Her mind was a complete blank, and all she wanted to to was bolt down the hall and get away from the raven-haired male. However, before she could do such a thing, she was startled when Sasuke gently took hold of her wrist in his hand.

"Why don't you want to talk to me?" He asked, his tone rather dejected. "I thought we hit it off pretty well at the Gala, so I'm kind of surprised that you're avoiding me like a plague."

Sakura nervously gazed up at him. "You aren't bothered by the fact that I'm a...maid?"

Sasuke released his hold on her. "I'm a little surprised, but I can't say that I'm bothered by it. Should I be?"

"Well, you are one of the successful Uchiha brothers," she murmured, as if it was the most simple thing in the world. "And I'm nothing but a maid. I have no right to talk to someone like you. The food is probably going to get cold, so you may want to get back and-" Sakura was cut off when Sasuke abruptly leaned down and planted a quick kiss on her lips, startling the pinkette.

When Sasuke pulled away, he looked quite shocked himself. Where the hell had that come from? Sure, he liked the girl. Quite a lot, actually. But for him to do something so rash was very unlike his usual reserved demeanor. However, he couldn't say that he'd regretted his actions, for Sakura's cheeks turned pink as she stared up at him, speechless.

"S...Sasuke-kun," she finally managed, her voice almost a whisper. "Why did you...?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," he apologized, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I wouldn't call that 'rude'. Just...unexpected." Sakura couldn't hide the smile that was playing on her lips, though she immediately felt guilty. Her mind was working overdrive, and there were too many emotions going on at once for her to handle. "I, uh, I have to get back to work, but I'll be back." With that, she rushed away from the stunned Uchiha, ashamed with herself.

Sasuke sighed, deciding not to pursue the flustered girl, and headed back into the dining room. Naruto was shoveling ramen into his mouth, oblivious to Hinata's disapproving side-glance as she quietly sipped on her glass of water.

"Did you scare her away?" Kisame teased, chewing on a piece of pork.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and took his seat. "Very funny."

As amazing as the food had come out, Hinata didn't have much of an appetite. She picked at the meager amount of food on her plate, her nerves gradually growing more tense. Throughout the meal, the conversation had been casual, but as everyone finished up, she decided that it was time to finally make her move.

"Itachi, do you have any idea how Danzo was murdered? I don't know the details, so I was wondering if you could fill me in," she lied.

"It seems that he was poisoned," he answered, dabbing the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "By a bottle of wine that was sent to him anonymously. Or at least, that's what the reports are saying."

Sasuke took a sip of his sake. "That bastard got what he deserved."

"You seem pretty happy about his demise," Naruto pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

The younger Uchiha brother snorted in contempt. "And why shouldn't I be? He's nothing but a scumbag. Or at least, he _was_. Not our problem anymore."

Hinata rose from her seat, staring at Itachi and Sasuke. "I hope you both enjoyed your meal, but I think I've played along with this little charade long enough."

"Charade?" Itachi blinked in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

"I know what you've been trying to hide from me," she responded. "I'll give you just one chance to admit to it, if you want to do it the easy way. If not, then I'm afraid that we'll have to do it the hard way. The choice is yours."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sasuke demanded, angrily rising to his feet.

Naruto and Neji both rose from their seats, each of them on either side of Hinata. Neji remained silent, but his icy, unforgiving glower was enough for Jugo to uncomfortably fidget in his seat.

"Are you really going to just play stupid?" Naruto snarled, his blue eyes narrowing menacingly. "All the shit that you've been trying to hide from Hinata... You either admit to it now, or you're really going to regret it."

"Is that a threat?" Sasuke challenged with a defiant smirk.

"Sasuke," Itachi warned, now standing up as well. "You need to keep your temper in check. Obviously Hinata is bothered by something, so it's only right if we try to figure this out rationally."

Sasuke sneered at his older brother. "Are you kidding? Why the hell should we?" With that, he turned his attention back to Hinata. "You know what, while we're at it, why don't you come clean with all the shit that you've been hiding? How about it, Hinata?"

"Me? I don't know what delusion you're living in, but I certainly have nothing to hide," she retorted scathingly. "It's you who have been deceiving me all this time. I know that at least one of you was responsible for what happened last month! Don't you dare even try to deny it, because it'll get you nowhere."

"You honestly think that we're the ones who had your family killed?" Sasuke sneered, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're the deluded one, Hyuga. Where's your proof?"

Naruto spoke up before Hinata could respond. "Well, considering that one of those fuckers that attacked the mansion the other day admitted that he worked for you guys is more than enough proof in my opinion!"

"That's not true," Itachi stated, his tone much calmer than his brother's. "I don't know who told you that, but it was a lie."

"Do you really think that we're going to believe you?" Neji shot back. "I'm guessing that you guys were behind the destruction of my house. And the assassination attempt on Hinata. You might as well admit to it, because we were told that it was definitely at least one of you, if not both."

"And I think it's kind of suspicious that in the past few years, six of your family members have mysteriously died. Makes me think that you had them killed off for whatever messed up reason that you might have," Naruto accused them.

Sasuke pounded his fist on the table, causing it to rattle. "Don't you dare try to assume that Itachi and I had our own relatives killed off! I don't know about the others, but my parents were killed because of Hinata's father!"

"What are talking about?" Hinata snapped, clearly insulted. "My father had absolutely nothing to do with your parents' deaths! That's a blatant lie!"

"Oh, yeah? Well, considering that the car they were driving at the time was given to them by Hiashi, I'd say that it was his fault! The brand new car that he gave them as a 'gift' was the reason why they got into the accident. The brakes failed, and they ended up crashing into the side of a building!" Sasuke yelled, furious.

Hinata stared at him with shock. "Th-that's not true. He would never do such a thing-"

"Unfortunately, Hinata, it is true," Itachi interjected solemnly. "Even if it wasn't intentional, it was proven that the brakes had failed."

"Then why didn't you start a lawsuit with the Hyuga family?" Neji asked, as his cousin was rendered speechless. "Surely you could've taken Hiashi to court over it, and tried to sue him. If you knew that, why didn't you come forward?"

"Sasuke wanted to, but I honestly thought that it was nothing more than a tragic misfortune," Itachi replied. "I don't think that Hiashi would've intentionally done something to cause our parents' demise, so I decided not to pursue any legal action."

Hinata's eyes went wide with realization. "Zabuza...he may have tampered with that car..."

"What?" Sasuke looked stricken. "What the hell do you mean? Who's Zabuza?"

"He used to work for my father a few years back, but it was discovered that he was tampering with the vehicles. He was fired, and ultimately sent to prison. He may have tampered with the car that my father gave to your parents," she explained, her face pale.

"So your father was a careless idiot who didn't recall the ones that the bastard tampered with?" Sasuke snapped.

Hinata's eyes narrowed, tearing up. "Don't you dare call my father an idiot! He recalled all of the ones that were manufactured during Zabuza's employment, but it was impossible for him to figure out each and every one that were messed with."

"And that doesn't change the fact that you bastards had her family killed, and then tried to have Hinata assassinated on top of everything else!" Naruto bellowed, his rage getting the best of him.

"We didn't," Itachi protested.

"Stop lying!" the blond snarled. "We were fucking told that it was one of you guys! So, which one was it? Answer me or I'll just kill both of you."

"Neither," Sasuke retorted defiantly.

The older Uchiha brother ran a hand through his hair. "I'm assuming that this whole dinner was a way to get us over here. You're anger is understandable, but Sasuke and I can't afford to allow ourselves to be eliminated over something that we were not responsiblefor. If this is how it's going to be, then..." He glanced over at Kisame and Jugo, who wordlessly drew their guns.

"So, that's how it's going to be," Hinata mused with a sigh. "If you don't want to admit it, then fine. I wanted to hear a confession from you, but I suppose it can't be helped."

"You're outnumbered," the younger brother remarked with a smirk. "Not only do these two have guns, but Itachi and I are armed as well. And assuming that all three of you have guns, that's still four against three. Your odds aren't the best."

"This is my house," Hinata pointed out. "I had everything planned down to the very last detail. Even if I am killed, none of you will be leaving this mansion alive."

Sasuke scoffed. "Oh, don't be so sure about that."

Naruto stiffened, suddenly feeling an overwhelming ominous presence. He barely had time to yell out a warning, quickly tackling a startled Hinata onto the ground. "GET DOWN!" His body covered hers just as the wall was blasted from the outside.

**Sorry for leaving it at a cliffhanger, but the chapter was getting long and I wanted to post it in the near future. I will try my best to hurry up with the next chapter. Thanks again for being patient and hanging in there with me, and the review remind me that I'm not just some lonely weirdo who sits in front of a screen for three hours straight while loudly eating a bag of chips. Hoping to have the next chapter out within two weeks. **


	21. Chapter 21

**Thank you for your patience, as usual. I'm just going to accept the fact that it takes me forever to finally finish each chapter, but the important thing is that I actually did finish. Getting closer to the end of the story so I'm really hoping to get it done sooner than later so that I can move on to other works. I'm glad that people are actually still reading this, and I hope that some of you find it enjoyable. Because the last thing I want is to be told that I suck at writing. On that note, please read and review.**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 21**

The blast from the explosion had drowned out the sound of everyone's startled yells. While Naruto's body covered Hinata's, the others had dropped down to the floor, barely registering the blond's warning until it was almost too late. Debris had shot across the room, and the dining room table had been hurtled several feet from the sheer force. Dishes and glasses shattered, their contents spilled in every direction. By the time the smoke had cleared, a hole that was nearly ten feet in diameter was visible in the wall that the blast had come from.

"Are you alright, Sasuke-sama?" Jugo asked, only to be ignored by the younger Uchiha brother. Kisame did not ask Itachi the same question, as he felt it wasn't necessary.

Naruto gazed down at Hinata, his arms wrapped tightly around her. "Hinata, are you okay?"

"Yeah..." She looked over at the gaping hole, stunned by what had just happened.

"What the hell was that?" Sasuke demanded, getting up onto his knees.

"You think we know?" Neji scoffed back.

The dining room door burst open, and Sai stepped in. "Hinata-sama-" He went dead silent as he noticed the damage, his eyes widening in surprise.

Sakura and Tenten were right behind him, both of them gaping in shock as they surveyed the room.

"What the hell happened? It looks like a bomb went off or something," Ino gasped.

Growling, Naruto got off of Hinata and helped her up, quickly shoving her behind him protectively. "Show yourself, you bastard!" he snarled, glaring in the direction of the damaged wall.

A few seconds went by with an ominous quiet that seemed to last for much longer. It was almost as if everyone was holding their breath, and Hinata was vaguely aware that she was clutching onto Naruto's sleeve. Her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest, feeling like a weight that was slowly sinking down into her stomach.

A moment later, an unseen figure outside of the mansion let out a humorless chuckle. "I'm a bit surprised that you noticed what was coming. It's a shame that I couldn't wipe you out all at once...but I suppose it wouldn't have been much fun that way..."

"Don't make me repeat myself," Naruto stated flatly with a threatening undertone. "Either show yourself or I'll drag your ass in here myself."

"My, such a rude young man. Your manners are poorly lacking. If you'd just ask nicely, I would be more than happy to oblige to your request," the voice added in a mocking tone. "But I suppose I will formally introduce myself since you insist." A man emerged from the shadows, calmly making his way into the dining room through the damaged wall. The light shone on his face, revealing his identity once and for all.

"I-is this some sort of joke?" Sasuke muttered, completely rigid.

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto asked the man, being the only person to not recognize him.

A demented grin appeared on the man's face, enjoying the shocked expressions on everyone's faces. "Oh, I'm a bit surprised that you don't know a famous face when you see one. However, I can tell that you're the only one here who doesn't know who I am. It's a bit sad, really."

"Will you just fucking tell me your damn name already!?" The blond snapped, growing more and more agitated. He had to control himself a little longer, but the man's demeanor was seriously pissing him off.

"Uchiha Madara," Itachi answered in a strangely calm voice. "Our uncle who died in a plane crash."

"What the hell is going on?" Sasuke demanded, his anger escalating. "You're supposed to be dead! Why are you here?"

Madara ran a hand through his long black hair, letting out a disappointed sigh. "I'm a bit hurt that my own nephews aren't happy to see me, but such is life, I suppose. I'm sure you all know why I am here."

"You..." Hinata took a step forward, now standing beside Naruto. "It's all making sense now. It wasn't Itachi or Sasuke... Everything that has happened these past few months is because of you!" Her lavender eyes glared at him with complete and utter hatred, and all at once she was overcome by both grief and rage. "You're the one who ordered the attack!" She wanted to take another step towards him, but Naruto stopped her by taking hold of her arm. Her body was trembling, and her heartbeat sped up as all of her pent-up anger took its toll. She wanted to kill him. She wanted to watch him suffer and beg for his life; exactly how her family had begged for theirs.

"You are correct," Madara remarked with a sadistic smirk. "And everything worked out exactly as I had planned."

By now, the rest of the servants had rushed into the dining room to find out what the commotion had been, though all of them remained in a horrified state of shock.

"Can I kill him now?" Naruto asked Hinata in a rather impatient tone of voice.

"Wait," she replied, then shifted her attention back to Madara. "What do you mean everything worked out like you planned?" Her mind was racing with so many confusing thoughts and the entire experience felt like a bad dream.

The older male snickered. "You seem to already know the answer to that, Hinata. _Everything_, right down to you inviting my nephews over so that you could eliminate them. I may not know you personally, but I gathered enough information about you. I know how you think and how you make your decisions. You are similar to myself, actually. You think things through carefully and avoid any rash decisions. I had you convinced that Itachi and Sasuke were the ones you were looking for by purposely setting everything up to make it look like they did it. I had Danzo killed so that there were no other possibilities for you to turn to. At that point, those two were the only plausible answer, even if you yourself didn't want to admit it. You would want a confession before having anyone killed, hence why you invited them over for dinner. As I said, everything worked out exactly as I had planned."

"But you're supposed to be dead!" Sasuke snarled. "And why the hell are you doing this!?"

Madara quirked an eyebrow at the younger man. "Why? Because you and your brother were part of my game as well. If I could take down both you and Hinata down at once, then my goal would be complete. I need all three of you dead in order to reach my next step. And lucky for me, you are all gathered here together for my convenience."

"So, you want to kill your own family, too?" Naruto growled. "That's just about as low as you can get..."

"I faked my death because I needed everyone to believe that I was dead, including my foolish nephews. Then I remained hidden in the meantime and did my work from the shadows. Those deaths in the Uchiha family? I am responsible for all of them. I don't want anyone interfering and having a family is such an inconvenience in those matters. I needed them all out of my way. Including your parents," he added gleefully to Sasuke and Itachi. "The car from Hyuga Hiashi was fine when he gave it to them. It was only after they had it was it tampered with. But of course, I made it look as though Hiashi was the cause of it. Hell, the man himself felt responsible for their deaths, hence why he gave you such a hefty payment in the end. He truly thought that he was the reason why they died."

"You fucking bastard!" Naruto yelled. "So you killed your own family off and then went after Hinata's?"

The smug look never wavered on Madara's face. "Yes. The Hyugas were the Uchihas biggest competition. They still are. But not for long," he added, eyeing Hinata deviously. "I must admit, you are a very lovely young woman, Hinata. If you value your life, you will submit to me in every shape and form." His dark eyes pierced into hers, making the indigo-haired girl visibly cringe with discomfort.

"Stay the fuck away from her, you old pervert!" The demon snarled, his eyes beginning to turn red as he once again shoved Hinata behind him protectively.

"I already killed her loved ones in front of her once," Madara pointed out. "I'll do it a second time if she refuses my offer. If not, I'll kill everyone here and then save her for last."

By now, everyone who had a gun, minus Naruto, had it pointed directly at the Uchiha. However, the man appeared unfazed. "Do you really think that's enough to take me down? How pathetic. Surely you don't think I came here unprepared, do you? I have this whole mansion surrounded."

"But you're right in front of us," Sasuke pointed out. "And there's nowhere for you to escape to."

"I have no such intentions," Madara responded coolly as a dark aura slowly surrounded his body. "It wouldn't be any fun otherwise. I am not the same person anymore. No, I am so much more than that," he added with a twisted grin. "And I brought along some friends of mine."

Sasuke was the first to pull the trigger, intent on putting a bullet straight through Madara's skull. However, to everyone's horror, the bullet stopped mid-air, centimeters in front of Madara's face. From there, the Uchiha took the halted bullet between his thumb and index finger, proceeding to crush it into dust.

"What is he?" Sakura murmured, nervously moving closer to Sasuke.

A barrage of gunfire was suddenly heard throughout different parts of the mansion, as well as incoherent yelling.

"Seems that they didn't want to wait," Madara murmured with a sigh. "No matter. It's about time we finally settled this. And let me just make this clear to each and every one of you; nobody leaves this mansion alive. If you try to run, you will be caught. If you try to hide, you will be found. I have eyes everywhere, so by all means, feel free to entertain me."

"Fucker!" Naruto roared, his eyes turning entirely red as his body was surrounded by a crimson aura.

"Oh? Seems like I'm not the only one who's special," Madara mused. "Interesting..."

The gunfire continued throughout the hallways, as well as Hidan's swearing. A white humanoid figure stumbled into the dining room, causing panicked screams from Ino and Sakura. Without hesitation, Itachi and Kisame opened fire on the figure, ripping several bullet holes through its body.

"Oh my god, what is that thing!?" Ino screamed, clutching Sai's arm.

While everyone was momentarily distracted by the white figure, Naruto and Hinata kept their attention solely on Madara. Hinata stood a few feet behind Naruto, her eyes narrowed warily. While she was relieved to learn that Itachi and Sasuke were innocent, this proved to be a much bigger problem than she'd anticipated. More of those white humanoids rambled into the room, forcing Neji, Sasuke, Jugo, and the servants to join in and help Itachi. It was obvious that there were many more within other parts of the mansion. Undoubtedly Pain, Konan, Hidan, Deidara, and most likely Tobi were trying their best to take them down as well. Sasori was still recovering in his room, but he'd taken several measures to install new and improved attack and defense mechanisms throughout the entire estate.

"Ya know, I was a little worried that this whole thing was going to be boring," Naruto remarked as he glared at Madara. "Looks like I won't be too disappointed."

"Naruto-kun," Hinata murmured, stepping closer to him. "Please be careful."

"You, too," he replied just as the young woman reached up under his overcoat and snatched his gun. As soon as it was in her grip, Naruto lunged forward and threw himself directly into Madara. He tackled him with enough force to drive him outside, both of them disappearing from view into the darkness of the night.

Hinata whirled around and began shooting at the mass of white creatures, noticing that there were about eight of them in the room altogether by now. The humanoids collapsed to the ground one after another after suffering from the damages caused by them, only for them to quickly regenerate and rise up once again.

"Dammit," Sasuke hissed, watching as the holes in one of the creatures closed up completely. "None of this is working on them."

Tenten threw a knife at one of them, hitting it directly in the forehead. However, it simply pulled the knife out, clumsily throwing it back at Tenten, who ducked down in the nick of time with a small yelp. "This is crazy! How are we supposed to beat them?"

"GET DOWN, UN!"

With barely any time to react, everyone threw themselves down on the floor just as a grenade was thrown directly at a group of three humanoids. It exploded, sending white globs all over the floor, walls, and ceiling. At the same time, Hidan barreled into the dining room, armed with his sickle. He swung it across, decapitating another two in the process.

"Wait, I can help!" Tobi ran in right behind Hidan, holding a frying pan. He accidentally tripped over his own feet, smacking one of the white figures in the head in the process.

Deidara appeared in the doorway, clearly out of breath. "Go for their heads! It's the only way that they don't regenerate!"

"So shooting them in the head won't work unless we destroy their head completely," Itachi figured, realizing why their previous attempts hadn't worked.

"That seems to be the case," Hidan remarked with a smirk. "All I know is that I'm having a blast taking these fuckers down!" He gleefully cut off another one's head.

"Where are Pain and Konan?" Hinata asked with concern.

"In another wing of the mansion, un," Deidara replied. "These white things are everywhere. We already took down at least a dozen of them and more of them keep coming out of the woodwork. What the hell is going on anyway? What happened with these two?" He motioned towards the Uchiha brothers.

Neji shook his head. "I'll explain in a bit, but for the time being, just take down as many as those white things as you can."

"I won't argue with that," Hidan snickered, decapitating another figure that attempted to enter the dining room.

"Where's Naruto-sempai?" Tobi asked, looking around. "Wasn't he here with you? I wanted to show him just how awesome this thing is!" He waved his frying pan in excitement, unwittingly smacking another creature right upside the head in the process. "See, Deidara-sempai!? This thing is for more than just cooking!"

"Oi, that's my best pan, you bastard! Don't you get any of that white shit on it, un!" Deidara snapped, infuriated.

Hinata peered out through the demolished wall, anxious about how Naruto was faring against Madara. He'd told her beforehand to stay hidden for her own safety, but the idea did not sit well with her. She wasn't about to stand around and do nothing; if this was her final hour, she had to make it count. Madara's arrival had completely changed the game, and she honestly had no idea how well Naruto could handle him. She had to get to the roof of the mansion and fast.

"What should we do?" Sakura cried out as she rapidly emptied both handguns, reloading them quickly. "More of these things keep coming out of nowhere!"

"Keep killing them!" Hidan replied, happily bisecting two more of the repulsive creatures before decapitating them.

"I'm going to name this one Zetsu!" Tobi chimed in, pointing at the one lying on the floor that he'd just hit with the pan moments ago. "Oh, maybe I can keep it as a pet of some sort and train it to be like another butler!"

Deidara rolled his eyes. "Moron..."

"Zetsu, lie down!" Tobi commanded, then waited a moment. "Good boy!"

"Shut up and keep attacking," Sasuke hissed, shooting one in the head repeatedly.

When it seemed that all of the 'Zetsus', as Tobi fondly called them, had finally been defeated, it gave everyone a brief moment to ponder their situation.

"This is bad," Sai pointed out.

"I know, this is just like out of a horror movie," Ino whimpered, cringing in disgust.

The young man surveyed the dining room. "It's going to take weeks to clean this up. The carpet alone is going to require extensive maintenance."

"You're joking, right?" Kisame asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Unfortunately, he's not," Neji mumbled. "But aside that, we need to figure out what we're going to do. Naruto is dealing with Madara but we're obviously not in the clear. At this point, all we can do is keep those white humanoids at bay and keep Hinata safe."

"Don't worry about me," Hinata quickly spoke up. "I can handle myself. I want you all to keep each other safe. There's been a serious misunderstanding but we're all facing the same enemy right now. Please watch out for each other."

Tenten took a step forward, deeply concerned. "What about you, Hinata? It's our job to protect you."

"I'll be fine," the indigo-haired young woman reassured her. "There's something that I need to go do. Please be careful. And don't die." With that she took off, leaving the room before anyone could say anything. She had to get up to the roof as quickly as possible, knowing that she couldn't afford to waste anymore time.

Hinata ran towards the staircase, noticing as a Zetsu was shakily wobbling down the steps towards her. She aimed at its head, pulling the trigger a moment later. The pistol was powerful enough where a single shot destroyed its head completely. Its body toppled forward and fell down the rest of the steps, clearing the path. Hinata continued on, her heart pounding in her chest as she rushed up the staircase and down the hall to get to the attic.

_'Please be careful, Naruto-kun'_, she thought to herself. An ominous feeling seemed to chill her nerves, and she struggled to keep her worry at bay. Worry led to panic, and panic could ultimately lead her to her demise if she wasn't careful. Her, and everyone else in the mansion as well. Their lives were all at stake and she was not about to cause their downfall. She ran faster, gripping the gun in her hand more tightly. With any luck, Naruto was holding his own against Madara without too much difficulty. However, Hinata knew deep in her heart that it wouldn't be that easy. All she could do was continue on and pray for Naruto's safety, as well as everyone else's.

**Ugh, this chapter was a pain in the ass to write. Took me a lot of editing and rewriting because I wasn't liking the scenario/dialog, but I help you're enjoying it so far. There are only a few chapters left so I'm going to try and finish this quickly. Next update within a few weeks.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hello! Sorry about taking forever on the update, but I'm sure you've gotten used to it by now. Anyhow, I'm happy to say that we're getting closer and closer to the end, so that means soon enough I can finally start my other works that I've been procrastinating on. I hope you like this chapter, and keep in mind that what isn't explained in this chapter will be explained later.  
**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 22**

"It was intelligent of you to move our fight away from your friends. It's a bit comical actually, because 'intelligent' doesn't seem to be a word that I would associate with you," Madara mused, standing about twenty feet away from Naruto. Even from outside, he could hear the frenzied gunshots inside of the mansion as the white humanoids continued to wreak havoc.

Naruto growled, his body covered in a shroud of crimson that resembled translucent bubbles, similar of that to a boiling liquid. Three tails formed behind him, his canines sharpening and his nails growing into claws. His red eyes burned into Madara's, a devious smirk on his face. His body was hunched over in slight crouch, ready pounce upon his prey. Undeterred by Madara's insult, he chuckled to himself. "You just made this whole thing ten times more exciting. I'll try not to go too hard on you."

"Oh? How gracious of you to offer that," the older male retorted flatly. "But that will not be necessary. If I were you, I'd be more concerned about what will happen to Hinata once we finish here. After I put you into the ground, that is."

"I'm not worried by that," Naruto scoffed. "You're not going anywhere near her."

Madara smirked. "I won't kill her at first; I'll let her live long enough to watch everyone else die. And then I'll finish her off so slowly that she'll be begging me to kill her. She should've died that night, but unfortunately, I had hired some rather inept assailants. Naturally, I eliminated them due to their incompetence, but by then the plan had already been botched. So I'll complete the job myself in just a few moments."

The blond responded with an angered snarl and charged forward, directly in front of his target's face a split second later. He slashed at Madara, ready to tear the man to shreds. However, to his surprise, Madara slipped just out of his reach, effectively evading the attack by countering with his own enhanced speed. Growling in annoyance, Naruto pounced at him again, his hand now balled into a tight fist as he prepared to drive it into his enemy's chest.

"You'll have to be quicker," Madara hissed confidently, again narrowly avoiding his attacker. "Is this really all that you've got? I was hoping for a bit more of a challenge," he mocked condescendingly.

Now infuriated further, Naruto's physical form changed once again. His body become enveloped in covering that differed between dark red and black, and his posture grew more animalistic. His tails had doubled and become more defined, as well as a long pair of fox-like ears on his head. His eyes glowed a deathly white, and his teeth had become substantially sharper. His loathsome gaze locked onto Madara and he uttered a low, warning growl.

"Impressive," the Uchiha murmured, unable to deny his opponent's terrifying power. "Maybe this won't be so much of a disappointment after-" He hadn't even finished his sentence before Naruto had suddenly pounced and slammed into him, brutally crushing him against a thick tree nearly three hundred feet away. The speed and force of the attack had completely knocked the breath right out of Madara, and he felt a crack in his back and several of his ribs upon impact.

With a bloodthirsty snarl, Naruto viciously slashed at his enemy, blood spilling in all directions as his claws sliced deeply into Madara's chest as he remained pinned against the tree. He continued to attack Madara in an almost crazed frenzy, aiming to kill him such a gruesome fashion. However, before he could slice into Madara's throat to sever his jugular vein, he found himself thrown back from the Uchiha by an unseen force. His body hit the side of the mansion, nearly causing it to collapse inward.

Madara coughed, grimacing from the pain. His chest was torn up in an array of bloody scratches, though they were already in the process of healing. He looked at Naruto with a smug grin. "As I said before, it won't be a simple-"

Naruto didn't wait for him to finish his sentence as he once again lunged forward with murderous intent. All he wanted to do was rip the bastard to shreds, savoring Madara's screams as his flesh was torn from his body. However, before he reached his intended target, Madara quickly retreated back and narrowly missed getting his throat violently torn out.

"I may not be a demon like you, but I have something up my sleeve to even the score!" Madara exclaimed. He pulled out a knife, slashed it across his palm, then pressed his hand against the ground. He muttered a few words under his breath, well aware of Naruto charging towards him once again. Yet before the fox demon could reach him, the ground suddenly split into a fissure between them, separating them further.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as the split grew wider, hissing as a massive figure began to ominously rise up from the ground. He restrained himself from mindlessly attacking it, wary of the new threat. All he could hear was the sound of Madara's manic laughter, as well as the grating noise of rocks scraping as the figure continued its ascension from underground.

"It took a lot of time, as well as hundreds of sacrifices, but I managed to summon a demon of my own! I acquired a new power of my own, but this will ensure that success will be mine. And don't worry about Hinata. I will take care of her while you deal with my little pet," Madara snickered.

Once it had fully emerged, Naruto was able to see the demon before him. It stood several stories tall, its decaying, earthen-colored form resembling a Gedo statue of some sort. Several spiky protrusions stuck out of its back, pointing dangerously in several directions. Its ankles were shackled with chains, and a black rod extended from its midsection that was similar to an umbilical cord. Bony-looking arms were crossed in front of its chest, its wrists secured together with more chains. The creature was biting down on a scroll, which was also secured by straps hanging from a large blindfold covering its eyes.

"This is the vessel for the demon that I was able to summon. It doesn't appear very lively at the moment, but I assure you that you'll have your hands quite full once it rejuvenates a bit more," Madara remarked dismissively, his eyes closing. "It's been a pleasure, but I have some crucial business to attend to." With that he opened his eyes, revealing deep crimson irises with a black pinwheel-like marking. He then turned towards the mansion, leisurely taking his time to approach the damaged building.

Naruto snarled at him, his rage increasing by the second. The bastard was going to go after Hinata. The decaying monstrosity before him would undoubtedly slow him down in his pursuit to reunite with Hinata. Madara was his target, but the demon would likely hold him up for longer than he'd want. The sooner he eliminated it the better. The statue-like creature slowly began to raise its head, the chains around its wrists rattling while its arms moved.

Deciding that there was no other choice, Naruto went ahead with his next plan. He concentrated his energy, allowing himself to reach his maximum potential within a matter of seconds. The six tails behind him grew into nine, and he felt his body surge with power, allowing him to make his final transformation. His animalistic form changed into that of a fox's, his body now covered in an orange-red fur. His size had increased substantially, standing just as tall as his grotesque opponent. He grinned wickedly, baring his razor-like teeth as his red eyes seared with rage. His pointed claws dug into the ground as he prepared to pounce, intent on ripping his enemy to shreds.

The Gedo statue raised its arms, viciously breaking them free of their chains a moment later. Although its eyes were hidden behind its blindfold, its attention was locked on the demonic fox. It emitted a warning screech, the sheer sound of it cracking the glass windows throughout the mansion.

Refusing to wait another moment, Naruto charged forward. A fleeting thought of Hinata crossed through his mind just as he slammed into the demonic statue.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

"EWWW!" Ino feverishly shot at the white Zetsu in front of her, destroying its head in the process. "It almost touched me!"

"They're everywhere!" Tenten added, slashing another one's throat deep enough to nearly decapitate it.

Hidan spun away from one of the Zetsus, bisecting it in half with his sickle while evading it. He smirked with satisfaction as both halves of the body toppled onto the ground.

"That was beautiful, Hidan-sempai!" Tobi chimed in. "Have you ever considered ballet?"

The silver-haired male gawked at him with contempt. "Ballet?! You're fucking kidding me, right?"

"But you'd be so talented!" Tobi gushed excitedly. "You're so graceful and-"

"Just shut the fuck up!" Hidan snapped, not wanting to hear it. "I'm not joining the fucking ballet! And if you suggest it again I swear that you'll be the next one I cut in half!"

Deidara rolled his eyes. "Both of you shut up, un. This isn't the time or place for your crap." He threw an explosive through the doorway to blast away another oncoming group of Zetsus.

Sai appeared visibly disturbed as he gazed around the room with disgust. So much white gunk. It was nauseating, and he wondered if he had any sort of cleaner in his arsenal that would eliminate such dastardly stains. If not, the next best solution was to probably just burn the place down and start fresh.

Itachi quickly reloaded his pistol. "We should get out of this room before more of those things come in here."

"But they're coming through the only door of this room," Sasuke pointed out with a hint of annoyance.

"Or we could just go through the giant hole in the wall," Hidan deadpanned, gesturing towards said giant hole.

The others blinked, then mumbled a unanimous "Oh". They ran towards the destroyed wall, only to catch a glimpse of what was going on outside.

"W-w-what the hell are those?" Sakura squeaked, going pale in the face.

Everyone else held similar expressions, each of them torn between confusion and horror. A monstrous fox was fighting with an equally terrifying statue of some sort.

"Let's just go through the door," Kisame murmured, backing away from the scene.

Nobody argued otherwise and headed in the opposite direction. Staving off a hoard of white humanoid creatures was one thing. Getting involved in the battle right outside was not as favorable. They weren't ready to die quite yet.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

"Hinata-sama!"

Hinata stopped running at the sound of the familiar deep voice, turning her head to face Pain. The red-haired man was standing beside Konan, each of them armed with a sniper rifle.

"Are you alright, Hinata-sama?" Konan inquired with concern. There were some white splatters on hers and Pain's clothing, indicating their encounters with those creatures.

"I'm fine," she answered dismissively. "I was with the others a little while ago, but I haven't seen Sasori. Do you know if he is okay?"

Pain offered a brief nod. "He is safely barricaded in his bedroom at the moment since he does not have the strength to fight those things. But he is triggering traps throughout the mansion from his room to help eliminate them."

"But it seems like no matter how many we destroy, more keep coming to take their places," Konan added. "At this rate, it would probably be safer if we met with the others."

"I have to get to the roof as quickly as possible," Hinata responded, in a hurry to continue on her way. "Be careful and watch out for each other." With that she sprinted off once again, leaving them dumbfounded. They were probably right; she should probably head back down. But for what? What would the point of that be? It was both her and Naruto's fight, and she was not about to let him do all the work. Sure, it would've been quicker to have simply gone outside through the ground floor, but it was also substantially more dangerous. The deafening thuds and crashes coming from outside only confirmed it.

She was getting close. Her eyes locked onto the door at the very end of the long corridor, which would lead to a staircase that would bring her directly up to the roof of the mansion. A Zetsu stumbled out in front of her, only for Hinata to blow his head off with a single bullet from her gun. She was too close to allow anyone or anything to stop her. With a sigh of relief she quickly opened the door and hurried up the staircase, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. She was both exhilarated and terrified.

Hinata continued to ascend the steps, her hand gripping the polished railing while her other held the gun with her finger positioned near the trigger. She saw the plain metal door that would lead her outside, feeling a slight wave of relief. Her fingers turned the cold knob, forcefully pushing the door open to be greeted by the cool night air. What was beyond the door, however, was not what it should have been. Instead, Hinata's heart skipped a beat as she registered the sight before her.

"Onee-chan? Are you okay?"

_Onee-chan?_ Hinata blinked, her blood running cold as her eyes scanned through Hanabi's bedroom. The brightly decorated walls. The messy, disorganized dresser. The plushy bed that was covered in an array of stuffed animals.

A confused Hanabi sat on the edge of the bed, quirking an eyebrow in confusion. "Onee-chan? Hey. I'm talking to you," she added with a huff.

With her breath caught in her throat, Hinata's eyes met with sister's, unable to speak. Why was she in Hanabi's room? Better yet, why was Hanabi there in the first place?

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Hanabi asked, growing more impatient. "You're starting to weird me out."

_She's not real. This isn't real. It can't be real._ Hinata was trembling, desperately trying to convince herself that the sight before her wasn't actually there. She swayed, putting her hand against the door frame to steady herself. Her fingers felt the glossy coating that smoothed the wooden doorway. It wasn't the cold metal that it should of been. If this wasn't real, was it a dream? Or a nightmare?

"Onee-chan!" Hanabi called out, standing up her worried state. "What's wrong with you?"

Hearing her younger sister's worried voice snapped her out of her mental battle and Hinata managed to find her voice. "Oh, s-sorry. I, um, I'm not feeling well..." That wasn't untrue. In fact, she felt as though she was about to faint.

Relaxing a bit, Hanabi crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You look like you need to pass out for about twelve hours. Is Father over-working you again?"

"F-Father?" The word sounded foreign to her for some reason. Almost unnatural. "Uh, no. Nothing like that..." Hinata trailed off, unsure of what to say next. She wanted to turn and run away more than anything. However, no matter how much she willed them to, her legs refused to move. She wasn't even able to to turn her head to look over her shoulder. Was she really in the doorway of Hanabi's bedroom, or was she actually in the entrance that accessed the rooftop? The fact that she couldn't turn to look terrified her ever more. Her breath was shaky, and her hand was too numb to feel the gun in its grip.

Hanabi gazed at her with obvious concern. "Are you sure you're alright? You look like you saw a ghost," she added with a nervous chuckle.

Hinata's heart skipped another beat, her blood running cold. A ghost. Was that what she was seeing? Was Hanabi a ghost? An illusion? Perhaps there was a chance that she was real. A desperate part of Hinata wanted to believe the latter, though she knew that there was no way possible. Part of her wanted to run over to her sister and wrap her arms around her in a tight embrace. Still, she couldn't deny the eerie fact that something was certainly not right.

"Who are you?"

"What?" The younger girl frowned slightly. "You know who I am. I'm your sister," she added flatly.

Hinata met her gaze once again, though her eyes had turned cold and steely. "Are you really? Because my only sister is dead. I'm not going to fall for any sick jokes." She managed to raise up her arm and point the gun in Hanabi's direction. No, Hanabi was dead. This person wasn't her sister. Whether she was an illusion, a ghost, or whatever the hell she was, it wasn't Hanabi.

"Onee-chan, what are you doing?" Hanabi backed up, visibly terrified. "W-why do you have a gun? And why are you pointing it at me?!"

"I'm not your Onee-chan. You're not Hanabi. So stop pretending that you are," Hinata responded.

Hanabi stared at her in disbelief. "Are...are you really going to shoot me?" Her voice cracked on the last two words, her lavender eyes filled with despair and betrayal.

The indigo-haired girl stiffened, caught off guard by 'Hanabi's' reaction. "I..." Was she going to shoot her? Better yet, _could_ she shoot her? She'd convinced herself that she could, but now she felt herself hesitating once again. Hinata was stuck in her difficult position all over again. She was mentally screaming herself to just shoot the person in front of her and end it all. But her finger wouldn't budge to pull the trigger.

"I don't know what I did to make you mad," Hanabi tearfully remarked. "But whatever I did, I'm really sorry. Please don't hurt me. Onee-san!"

That was it. Hinata's arm limply fell to her side once again, unable to go through with it. She couldn't do it. Even if that person wasn't her sister, it looked like her. It sounded like her. It had her mannerisms. It was too much like the real Hanabi. With a sigh of defeat she felt the last of her resistance crumble. This was all so draining, and at this point, she couldn't tell what was real or not real anymore.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxx_

Madara smiled thinly as he watched Hinata from the shadows, hidden from her view. The young woman was standing alone on the rooftop of the mansion, a desolate expression on her face. He had trapped her into the mind game that he'd planned especially for her. It was obvious that she'd kill herself before forming an alliance with him, so there was no point in trying. However, he couldn't resist playing once last game with her before finishing her off. It would make this whole ordeal that much more satisfying.

"Even though she's not your sister, you can't shoot her," he quietly mocked with a sinister grin. "Let's make things a bit more interesting. A family reunion should suffice."

**Sooo, I hope you found this chapter to be entertaining. I rewrote it a few times because certain aspects annoyed me and even now I'm still kind of 'eh' about it. But I didn't want to spend another hour working on it and finally decided to finish the damn thing. The next chapter will be out in a few more weeks and will be more exciting. Thanks for reading and thanks to those who are kind enough to leave me a review. You're fucking awesome ^_^**


	23. Chapter 23

**Yayyy, I finally got off my ass and finished this damn chapter. Each chapter is getting more and more difficult to write because I'm getting pickier about how I want to wrap things up. I kind of have a decent plan as to how it's going to finish, but if all else fails I still have that half bottle of tequila that's practically screaming out ideas. Yeah, so there's a last resort plan. On that note please read and review.**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 23**

Naruto growled to himself, glowering at his opponent while he thought about his next move. Although slow-moving and unimpressive in strength, the demonic statue before him was tough and resilient. Despite attacking it with a combination of his claws, razor-like teeth and brute strength, his enemy remained unscathed. Its outer exterior was proving to be problematic, and Naruto realized that time was quickly slipping away. Madara was after Hinata, and he had made damn sure that nobody could get in his way. Conniving bastard.

With a guttural groan, the Gedo demon uncrossed its arms and heavily slammed its palms into the ground as its blindfold tore away from its face. Its body began to contort and twist into a grotesque bulb-like form as the protrusions on its back turned into a form that was reminiscent of a conch shell. Its arms had grown longer, as well as its claws. A single red eye took up most of its face, its wide mouth filled with rows of pointed teeth. It looked as though ten tails had sprouted from its body, which was now covered in a series of dark veins that looked almost plant-like.

"You're even uglier than before," Naruto deadpanned as it let out a horrible shriek, still able to speak despite changing into his fox form. He glanced over towards the mansion, his eyes widening when he noticed Hinata standing alone on the roof. The young woman remained completely still, her hair and dress blowing gently in the wind as she silently stared forward. She wasn't looking in the direction of the fight, and seemed unaware that it was even happening. Instead, she looked as though she were in some sort of trance. _What is she doing?_ Naruto wondered to himself, suspicious that he did not see Madara anywhere. However, his thoughts were cut short as the ten-tailed demon let out another shrill howl. "Shut up, I didn't forget about you, Ten-Tails," he hissed.

To Naruto's surprise, the Ten-Tails slashed one of its disgustingly long arms at the fox, its talons just barely missing Naruto. It hissed, attacking a second time, though its arm grew another few feet, this time hitting the giant fox. Naruto skidded backward on the ground, narrowing his eyes with rage. Before his enemy could strike him a second time, Naruto lunged forward and tackled the ugly creature, breaking a tree in half as he slammed the Ten-Tails against its trunk. He then sank his teeth into its body, which seemed softer and more fleshy compared to its more statuesque form. His canines dug into the squishy mass, causing the other demon to wail loud enough for the glass windows in the mansion to shatter. The Ten-Tails grabbed Naruto around the throat, attempting to strangle him and push him down to the ground. Refusing to budge, Naruto bit even harder, jerking his head to tear a chunk out of his enemy. Blood splattered all over the ground as he managed to tear the mouthful of flesh away from the creature's body.

A wail louder than any of its previous sounds caused the ground to shake slightly as blood gushed from its wound, its distorted red eye locking onto Naruto. It whipped one of its tails at him, forcing the fox demon to back away. Going berserk, the Ten-Tails began to attack him with all of its tails, moving so fast that it was almost a blur. Naruto was hit by a series of quick pummels, the tails whipping into him mercilessly as he struggled to block them.

"You fucking-!" Naruto ducked down and spun sharply, hitting his enemy with one powerful movement as he used his own nine tails to attack his target. Knocking his enemy off balance, he smashed into it a second time, sending it rolling backwards several hundred feet. Now that he had gotten it a safer distance away from the mansion, Naruto wouldn't have to hold back. He quickly glanced back at Hinata, whom had not moved from her spot. The fact that Madara was still nowhere in sight unsettled him even more. The bastard could be hiding anywhere. He had a feeling that Madara was responsible for the state that Hinata was in. Naruto snarled, intent on grinding Madara's bones into dust when he finally caught up to him.

The Ten-Tails elongated both of its arms and attempted to wrap them around Naruto's body in order to lock him into a hold. However, the fox broke free and countered by grabbing one of the arms and using all of his strength to flip the demon over onto its back. A crater formed in the ground upon the demon's landing, sending a billow of dirt in every direction. Not allowing his opponent the chance to get up, Naruto grabbed hold of one of its arms and violently yanked it away from its body. He grinned sadistically as the Ten Tails howled in pain, carelessly tossing the severed limb aside. This battle was almost too easy.

_I think it's about time that I finish this ug_ly _fucker off once and_ _for all_, Naruto thought to himself. However, before he could make his next move, the Ten-Tails emitted an awful ear-shattering cry as its body began to twist and distort, a veil of darkness ominously surrounding it. Realizing what was going on, Naruto hurried to kill the beast before it changed again. He was too late however, as a burst of energy sent him flying back just as the Ten-Tails morphed into it's next form.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What exactly did we see out there? Because I can't tell if that was real or if I'm just losing my freaking mind!" Ino exclaimed, looking like she was about to faint.

"Well, if it's not real, then I guess that all of us are going mad," Sai replied nonchalantly.

The blonde sweat-dropped. "How can you be so calm about it?"

The group had since rejoined with Pain and Konan, with Sasori still locked inside of his room. He had triggered nearly all of the traps that had been installed, effectively impaling, burning, and blowing up those white Zetsus. Despite that, the humanoid creatures continued to appear one after another, and the situation was beginning to seem hopeless.

"I'm out of ammunition," Sakura muttered with dismay when she heard the empty click of her gun.

"This is why I'm glad that I don't have to worry about fucking bullets! I can just slice these fuckers as many times as I want without having to deal with any reloading bullshit!" Hidan remarked as he happily decapitated another Zetsu.

"Our best option would be to head towards the armory," Neji chimed in, realizing that he, too, was running low on bullets. "The room is heavily built and we'll have more protection in there. We need to get there as quickly as possible."

Itachi nodded in agreement. "Where is this armory located?"

"Unfortunately, it's on the other side of the mansion," Pain replied.

"Well, that figures," Sasuke muttered with an annoyed sigh.

Ino looked around nervously, grabbing hold of Sai's arm. "Then we'd better get moving before more of those creepy white things show up."

"But what about the traps that are supposedly set up throughout the mansion?" Sasuke crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Aren't we going to set them off?"

"Sasori was careful when he implemented each of the traps," Konan explained, noticing that her gun was nearly empty as well. "He is monitoring everything from behind the scenes. He'll deactivate them when he sees which way we're heading. However, in doing so, we will be responsible for taking down the enemies that we encounter."

"But will we reach it in time?" Jugo questioned. "I mean, most of us are almost out..."

Hidan smirked and held up his sickle. "This thing doesn't need bullets. I'll clear a path if necessary."

"I have a few explosives left as well, if push comes to shove, un," Deidara added.

"Let's go then. We've already wasted precious time just by talking," Neji remarked, trying his hardest to ignore the thundering noises coming from outside. The ground shook, causing the damaged furniture and broken glass on the floor to rattle slightly. Those horrible shrieks were impossible to tune out, however, leaving an unsettled, ominous feeling. It was the worst sound that any of them had ever heard, effectively causing their blood to run cold.

"Is that fox on our side!?" Tobi loudly asked out of nowhere, startling the rest of the group.

"Dammit, Tobi!" Hidan snarled, ready to swing his weapon at the masked man. "Don't fucking do that!"

Tobi scratched his head and laughed sheepishly. "Eh, sorry, Hidan-sempai! But is he?"

"Let's hope so," Neji responded calmly before turning. "Now come on."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You just keep getting more and more hideous," Naruto remarked with disgust as he glowered at his newly transformed opponent.

The Ten-Tails had shaped back into a more humanoid shape with an emaciated appearance, now with elongated arms and legs. The neck had become twisted and its head had grown a single ear on the right side,. Not only had its mouth moved to the left side of its head, but the previously pointed teeth had become straight and now bore a grin. A single triangular nostril appeared above its mouth. The sole crimson eye was directly centered in front, with six spikes formed at the top of its head. Two more curved down the side of its face, one on each side, and another was below its ear. The conch shell growth on its back kept its shape and the tails had grown longer as well. Although its body appeared in an almost malnourished state, Naruto noticed that it was gradually increasing its muscle mass. The Ten-Tails' hands were planted on the ground, its body bulking up the longer it remained in that position. It was as if the demon was absorbing something to strengthen itself.

Once Naruto realized what was going on, he leapt forward to attack the Ten-Tails in an attempt to stop the process. However, before he could land his attack, he was whipped by one of the many tails of his enemy, sending him back several hundred feet. Undeterred, the fox demon pounced a second time, this time evading the tails as they flung towards him in a barrage. Knowing that he would have to use more force than he had earlier, he unleashed a series of his own attacks, increasing his speed and brute force. This time he managed to successfully slam into the Ten-Tails into the ground and pin it down. He then proceeded to sink his teeth into its neck, intending to rip the monster's throat out. His teeth tore into the flesh easily enough, but before he had the chance to do anything else, he felt something wrap around his own neck. Naruto realized too late that it was actually two of his enemy's tails and felt as the Ten-Tails attempted to snap his neck. He bit down harder, refusing to let go of the other demon. Three more tails found themselves around his neck, yet he still held on, now gnawing deeply into the Ten-Tails' throat. He violently continued to dig deeper into the creature's throat, feeling blood splatter all over him in the process.

_Just fucking die already!_ Naruto continued to brutalize the area, noticing just how much the the Ten-Tails was thrashing on the ground. It wailed and writhed, using four more of its tails to wrap around the fox's neck. In addition to trying to snap Naruto's neck, it was also now trying to strangle him as well. It used its remaining tail to drive directly into Naruto's back, the end of it hardening into a point as it dug in. Distracted by the sharp pain, Naruto relinquished his hold on the Ten-Tails' throat, wrenching himself out of its grasp as he retreated back.

"Shit!" The fox demon snarled, conscious of the blood running down his back. He quickly glanced back over at the mansion, noticing that Hinata still had not moved from her spot. But how much longer would she remain there? Madara was still nowhere in sight.

The Ten-Tails hissed and clumsily dragged itself back up, then placed its hands down onto the ground once again. It remained still for a few seconds, absorbing something unseen once again, and Naruto could see the deep wound in its throat slowly closing up. He growled, narrowing his eyes as he contemplated his next move. Whatever that monster was absorbing, it was helping the healing process. If that was the case, he had to make sure that the Ten-Tails wouldn't have the time to recuperate. He would just have to continue fighting it head on.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Mother and Father are waiting to talk to you."

"What?"

In the blink of an eye, the scenery changed and Hinata found herself in her father's office. The very same room where the slaughter of her family had taken place. However, the room was tidy and pristine. It was clean of any reminder from that night. Hiashi was seated behind his desk, skimming through a stack of documents in front of him. Hinata's mother was browsing through one of the several bookshelves that lined the walls. Hanabi was sprawled across a lounge, playing with her cell phone. None of them seemed to notice Hinata as she gaped at them in horror.

"W-what's going on...?" Her words were barely audible, and she leaned up against the wall to steady herself. The door to the room was shut behind her, and she half-heartedly wondered if it had been locked as well. Seeing Hanabi had been enough to nearly send her into a complete breakdown, but the thought of possibly being locked in a room with her deceased family would surely complete that ordeal.

Hiashi looked up from his work. "Oh, Hinata. I didn't even hear you come in. Did you need something?"

"She probably came to tell you that 'all work and no play makes Hinata a dull girl'," Hinata quipped. "Seriously, you need to let her out sometime and interact with real people."

"I didn't ask you," he responded with annoyance. "And you act as though I'm keeping her in a prison."

Hanabi snickered. "No, your lectures are punishment enough."

Hiashi glowered at her for a moment, but apparently found it pointless to respond to his daughter's childish remarks and turned his attention to Hinata. Instead of repeating his question, he simply waited for her to answer.

"Umm... No..." Hinata mumbled, hugging herself. It seemed that her gun had disappeared along with her ability to decipher lies from reality.

Her mother had remained quiet, but an amused smile was visible on her lips as she continued her search for a specific book. The clock on the wall seemed unusually noisy, its steady and meticulous ticking growing louder with each one. The clock read three o'clock, which Hinata realized was not the correct time. It was supposed somewhere between nine and ten at night. Then again, for all she knew, three was the correct time of the current scenario that Hinata had found herself in. Peering out the window from where she stood, she could see that it was clearly daytime.

"Are you feeling alright?" Hiashi spoke up, gaining her attention once again. "You don't look well."

Hinata merely shook her head, finding it increasingly difficult just to speak. All she wanted was to break down and cry, and throw her arms around each and every one of them. Part of her just wanted to pretend that all of this was real and that she actually was with her family once again. Another part of her, however, knew that it was simply just a beautiful lie.

"Onee-chan," Hanabi sighed with a hint of irritation. "Why have you been acting so weird? Are you sick or something? One too many of Father's lectures?"

"That's enough out of you," Hiashi scoffed, rising from his seat. "Why don't you go terrorize someone else for a few minutes?"

She smiled sweetly. "Because it's more fun to annoy you instead."

"Clearly," he deadpanned, then once again focused on his older daughter. "Hinata, come here."

Hinata stiffened. Come here? She could barely speak, much less move. Not only that, but she wasn't sure if she should go to him. He wasn't real obviously, so what was actually there? "N-no," she mumbled, unable to meet his gaze.

Her mother, finally retrieving the book she had been looking for, joined her husband next to his desk. "Hinata, please come here where the light is better. You don't look well," she said softly, repeating her husband's words.

"I-I'm fine," the indigo-haired girl responded a bit more firmly. "R-really."

"She's stuttering again," Hanabi pointed out teasingly, getting off the lounge and moving over towards her parents. "You know that means she's lying. Or just really nervous."

It was unsettling the way all three of them stood there, staring her down. The longer they held their gaze, the more uncomfortable Hinata grew. She broke out of her state of paralysis and whirled around to run out of the room. To her horror, the door was completely gone; only a solid wall remained. _The door's gone. THE DOOR IS GONE._

"Hinata?" Her mother spoke up, her tone sweet. Almost too sweet. "Why don't you come here?"

Something inside Hinata told her not to spin around and face her family again. Once again, her body betrayed her and did exactly that. The room seemed substantially darker than it had been only seconds ago, but that was not the detail that had caught her attention. Her parents and sister were still by the desk, only now their features were deathly pale and somewhat skeletal. They were now dressed in pajamas, with patches of blood visible all over them. More blood trickled down their hands, only to drip from their fingers and onto the floor. They looked as though they had been riddled with several bullets, and it was impossible not to see the splashes of blood throughout the rest of the room. It was exactly just like that night. She was trapped in a room with her dead family.

At that point, all Hinata could do was scream as the rest of her world came crashing down. She closed her eyes and covered her ears, falling to her knees as she desperately tried to block out what was in front of her. _This isn't real! This isn't real!_ No matter how many times she inwardly yelled that, it didn't change the fact that she was still stuck in some kind of nightmare. Tears streamed down her face and her body shook as she let out an agonized sob. She couldn't do this anymore. She wanted to just stick the gun to her head and pull the trigger. However, the gun had disappeared from her possession, leaving her completely defenseless.

"I told you that she's acting weird," Hanabi remarked.

"Hinata, you are overreacting," her father added sternly. "Stop it this instant."

Her mother spoke up next. "We're only trying to help you, Hinata. Please come here."

"No! Stop talking to me! Just stop it!" Hinata screamed as she finally looked back up at them. However, as soon as she met their gaze, she went completely silent. Their lavender eyes were now red, with three black markings within the irises. Their gaze seemed to penetrate her very soul and she felt her body go entirely numb.

"Onee-chan, come with us. We miss you," Hanabi said with an unsettling smile.

Hinata shakily rose to a stand once again, her tears drying on her cheeks as the seconds passed. She couldn't speak, and it seemed that she was no longer in control of her own movements.

"Hinata, come here," her mother added, opening her arms in a welcoming hug.

Unable to resist the demand, Hinata began to move towards them in a slow, trance-like state. They seemed further away than before, as if the room itself had stretched. Nevertheless, with each leisurely step that she took, her fear continued to increase. She had lost the ability to speak, and was unable to display any physical emotion. All she could do was continued forward, trapped in the prison of her own body while her deceased family waited for her. _**  
**_

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

Madara grinned as he watched Hinata slowly make her way along the roof of the mansion. She was under his control now and wasn't even aware of the events that were actually happening. This was much more entertaining than simply killing her quickly. Watching others suffer gave Madara a great deal of satisfaction, and this was truly savoring. He would end her torment the moment she made it to the edge of the roof, where the figment of her family would be waiting. Only then would he allow her to see what was actually going on before she fell to her death. Her friends were being kept busy inside, and that wretched fox demon was still stuck in his own battle. There was no one to save her, and once she was dead, he'd eliminate those lowly servants all at once while the Ten-Tails finished off the fox.

"It's over, my dear," he murmured, watching as the young woman continued walking towards her eminent death. "I've won..."

**Sorry about the cliffhanger, but it's kind of impossible not to at this point. I plan on having the next chapter out by next weekend or , there's only a few chapter left,so that means that I'm thinking about new story ideas. I have decided on a Naru/Hina compilation of one-shot lemons as one of my stories. I also have plans for a Hidan/Hinata one-shot lemon as well, since I do like that crack pairing and its been awhile since my last Hidan/Hinata story. Last but not least I'm going to be starting a new Naru/Hina multi-chapter story. As with most of my stories there will be violence, swearing, lemons, and et cetera. Those will be started some point next month, so in the meantime this current story is getting wrapped up. Hope you are still enjoying it, so let me know what you think. :3**


	24. Chapter 24

**I swear this story is slowly but surely draining away my life at an agonizing rate. I want to finish it up so bad and I'm so damn close I can almost taste my freedom! This story was not originally intended to be this long, but shit happens I guess. I'm just eager to start some new stories so that is why I am being an impatient fuck at the moment. On that note, please read and review.  
**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 24**

Naruto grunted as a heavy tail slammed into his side, causing him to skid sideways from the force. That Ten-Tails was one resilient bastard, proving to be a more formidable opponent than Naruto had expected. Still, there was no way in hell he was about to let that monster win. Naruto opened his mouth and blasted a large, rotating black sphere directly at the Ten-Tails, hitting its chest. The sphere exploded, billowing dirt and smoke all around the towering monster upon impact.

"I don't fucking believe this," Naruto muttered to himself once the smoke had cleared. That was one of his more powerful attacks, yet it had hardly inflicted any damage on the demon. Not a good sign in his not-so-humble opinion.

The Ten-Tails wailed angrily and suddenly dashed forward, lashing out all of its tails at once. Taking Naruto by surprise, it mercilessly whipped away at the enormous fox, using its brute strength to pummel Naruto. At the same time, it grabbed Naruto's throat with both hands, its talons digging in as it let out another horrible screech. Applying a crushing amount of pressure, it attempted to snap the fox's neck with a brutal jerk. Before it had the chance, however, Naruto blasted another sphere into its face, causing the monster to release its grip with a shrill cry.

Naruto retreated back, panting heavily as he glowered at his enemy. He was way beyond the point of being pissed off and he prepared to pounce again in retaliation. Yet before he did, he caught movement in his peripheral vision and quickly redirected his attention. To his surprise, Hinata was slowly walking along the rooftop of the mansion. Even from his distance, he could see the calm, stoic expression on her face as she continued forward. What the hell was she doing? She seemed completely unaware to the ongoing battle between him and the Ten-Tails, her gaze never once shifting into his direction.

"Hinata!" Naruto yelled. To his dismay, she did not react to his voice and kept walking. What was wrong? Why wasn't she responding to him? _Madara! That_ _fucking son of a bitch!_ He thought to himself, realizing that Madara was finally making a move. Was he intent on forcing Hinata to jump from rooftop?

Panicking for Hinata's safety, Naruto attempted to charge towards her, only for his path to be blocked by the mammoth Ten-Tails. It swung one of its heavy tails into him in a swift movement, causing him to crash through one of the trees.

Taking to opportunity, the Ten-Tails once again placed both of its palms against the ground, using its abilities to regenerate itself. Although its damage had been minor, the energy it absorbed enabled its body to surge with even more power than before. As Naruto struggled to get up, the Ten-Tails continued to accumulate more power from its unsuspecting targets.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sakura was the first to fall to her knees, her energy seemingly disappearing in only a matter of seconds. Her body felt heavy and devoid of any strength, and her heart rate had increased rapidly. The dual guns fell from her hands in a clatter, and her breathing had grown more shallow.

"Sakura!" Ino attempted to aid her friend, only to feel her own body growing weak. She nearly stumbled, only to be caught by Sai.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke asked, helping Sakura to her feet as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "What's wrong?"

The pinkette gazed at him, then at the worried faces of the others. However, before she could explain, Deidara and Tenten collapsed onto their knees as they too, dropped their weapons.

"I'm so tired all of a sudden..." Tenten mumbled, before falling onto her side listlessly.

"Tenten!" Neji dropped down beside her and lifted her up. "Hey, what's wrong? Tenten!"

"What the fuck is going on here?" Hidan loudly demanded. "What's wrong with all of you?"

Konan swayed for a moment, feeling Pain quickly grab hold of her to keep her from falling as well. Tobi proceeded to simply fall forward and face plant onto the floor gracelessly, and both Kisame and Jugo slid to the floor as well. At that point everyone felt as though all of their energy had been drained away without any explanation at all. Within seconds, everyone was lying on the floor as the Ten-Tails' extraction took its toll on their bodies. Their limbs became useless. Their frenzied heartbeats gradually slowed down, and their minds slowly blurred with disorientation.

"Shit," Hidan grunted, unable to keep hold of his sickle as he lay on the floor.

"Why...is this...happening?" Sakura murmured quietly as she stared up at the ceiling. Had they been poisoned by one of the airborne toxins that Sasori had installed as a defense mechanism? Of course, he wouldn't have released the toxins while they were still navigating their way through the mansion. Then what was it?

"Dammit," Sasuke hissed, lying beside Sakura with his arm still wrapped around her. He was angry at himself, furious that he was so helpless at the moment. He wanted to get him and Sakura out of there, but there was no possible way for that now.

Ino blinked slowly, her eyelids feeling heavier with each passing second. It was easier to keep them closed at this point, so she did just that.

"Ino," Sai spoke up as he noticed his girlfriend began to drift off. "Ino!" He'd meant to yell her name, though it came out as more of a labored whisper. He wanted to shake her awake, only to realize he was unable to even lift his arm. His body was completely immobile.

Itachi attempted to sit up, collapsing back down a moment later. Now was certainly not an ideal time for this to be happening. If those White Zetsus showed up, there would be no way for them to defend themselves.

"We were so close to the armory," Neji mumbled as he gazed longingly down the hall. "It's right down there..."

"This sucks, un," Deidara lamented with exhausted effort. "So this is where it ends, huh?"

"This fucking blows," Hidan complained as he fruitlessly attempted to grab hold of his sickle. "Ah, god-fucking-dammit..." He could barely raise his voice over a whisper, frustrating him further. He already felt like shit, and now he couldn't even swear his head off to vent.

Tenten glanced over at Neji, her face in close proximity to his. "What's going to happen now...?"

He was quiet for a few seconds, before responding with a forlorn, "I don't know." At the same time he managed, barely, to grab hold of Tenten's hand and give it the lightest of squeezes. That had been the last of his energy to make any sort of movement.

The brunette offered him a weak smile, as if accepting their fate. None of them had the strength to even sit up, much less defend themselves against the enemy. Even with Sasori operating from behind the scenes, their situation was relatively bleak. For all they knew, Sasori could've already been killed during the commotion. He was still on bed rest, so his current strength was rather dismal as well.

The group lay scattered in the hall, each of them gradually slipping into unconsciousness as their life force continued to drain out of them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hurry up, Onee-san," Hanabi jokingly complained. "Before we're dead."

Hinata wanted to throw up, deeply disturbed by the remark as she walked towards her family. The bloodstains on their pajamas seemed to have spread, and the closer she got to them, the more gaunt and deathly they appeared. It looked as though their skin had taken on a mildly rotted appearance, and their eyes were empty and soulless. When they smiled, blood leaked from the corners of their mouths and dribbled down. Hinata's stomach turned from the sight, silently screaming for her body to stop moving. She was only thirty feet away from them by now.

"Hinata, pick up the pace a bit," Hiashi spoke up with a hint of annoyance. A large gaping hole was visible in his chest, and as he spoke, more blood pulsed from the wound.

Even as she continued to approach them, her mind was a complete mess as panicked thoughts raced through her mind. What was going to happen once she reached them? Were they going to kill her? She dreaded the answer.

_Stop moving!_ Tears silently streamed down her face as her legs continued to betray her. If her heart sped up any more, she feared that she'd suffer from a heart attack. However, given the situation, she'd probably welcome that outcome.

Twenty feet.

"Now we can finally be together again as a family," her mother spoke up in her overly-sweet voice, causing Hinata to cringe. Although her words were soft and calm, there was an ominous undertone to it that sent shivers down Hinata's spine. She smiled and tilted her head slightly, a noticeable gash on the side of her neck.

_Please_ _stop please stop please stop please stop PLEASE STOP!_ Hinata kept moving forward, the details of the room now entirely faded, leaving behind a barren stretch. She couldn't see anything surrounding them, or what lied beyond her awaiting family other than a shadowy darkness that threatened to consume her.

Ten feet.

Their bony fingers reached out towards her and their smiles widened into demented grins.

Five feet.

"Hinata!"

The familiar voice caused Hinata to stop suddenly, her eyes widening as she slowly recognized it. Was that...?

"HINATA!"

_Naruto-kun?_

"Hinata, come here," her family hissed impatiently, suddenly lumbering forward.

In that instant, Hinata could feel the gun she'd previously had in her grip once again and she wasted no time in making her next move. Instead of aiming it at her parents and sister, she quickly turned the gun on herself and pulled the trigger.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"HINATA!" Naruto bellowed as he saw her collapse on the rooftop, only a few feet away from the edge. It looked as though she had been about to walk right off, but had been able to prevent it taking some extreme measures.

The Ten-Tails let out an ear-shattering screech, reminding him that he still had his current obstacle to overcome. There was no time left. He would have no choice but to do something drastic, regardless of how reckless it was. Gathering up all of his energy into one concentrated surge, he felt his strength spike up and he charged full speed at his opponent. In less than a second, he had barrelled the Ten-Tails over and pinned it to the ground, ignoring its shrieks as he held it down. He opened his mouth wide as another black sphere began to shape and grow, well aware of his enemy's spiky tails mercilessly stabbing into him repeatedly in a desperate attempt to get him off. Refusing to budge, Naruto accumulated the sphere until it could grow no further even as he felt his own blood gushing down his body and matting his fur. He blasted it directly into the Ten-Tails' eye with such an devastating power that it shook the mansion and caused most of the surrounding trees to splinter and shatter.

The Ten Tails' horrible screams were cut off as its entire head exploded from the ferocity of the direct hit. Its tails withdrew from the various points it had stabbed Naruto's body, falling limp onto the ground. Panting heavily, Naruto stepped back and watched as the rest of the body began to disintegrate into a pile of dust before his eyes. He winced in pain, having accumulated substantial damage from his dangerous plan. As reckless as it had been, however, it had worked. Unfortunately, he had used up nearly all of his energy taking that monster down, and he felt himself reverting back to his human form. He coughed up a bit of blood, his regeneration abilities much slower as a result of the battle.

"Shit," he hissed, noticing that his clothes were quickly becoming soaked with his blood. He didn't have time to think about such things, though, and he quickly turned his attention back towards the rooftop. His eyes widened in horror when he realized that Madara had finally come out and shown himself.

"HINATA!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When she opened her eyes, Hinata could see the starry night sky as she lay limply on the rooftop. She could vaguely feel warm blood spurting between her fingers as her hand covered her wound. Her breathing was rapid and heavy, and it took her several seconds to realize that she'd inadvertently shot herself in the same spot where her scar was. Had there been a reason for that or was it simply a cruel twist of irony? Nonetheless, she'd successfully snapped out of the nightmarish illusion she had been trapped in. Wincing in pain, she slowly moved her head from one side to the other, attempting to check her surroundings. She couldn't find the strength to sit up, but from what she could see, her family was no longer in sight. With a sigh of relief, she relaxed slightly and closed her eyes.

"It's a little too soon to lower your guard, my dear."

Just as Hinata's eyes snapped open, Madara's fingers were already wrapped her throat, lifting her up off the ground.

Hinata cried out in pain, desperately clutching at her abdomen as the man held her up in the air. She used her other hand to feebly knock his arm away, quickly realizing that it was futile.

"Your friend was somehow able to defeat the demon that I had summoned," Madara mused, sounding strangely calm considering the outcome. "I must admit that I am a little surprised that he managed to do so. He's more powerful than I anticipated. No matter, though. I just wanted to keep him and the others busy for the most part while I had my fun with you. By now your friends are most likely on the brink of death if they haven't died already," he added. "And your demonic friend isn't in the greatest shape either. By the time he gets here, you'll already be dead anyway," he added, dropping her back down onto the hard rooftop.

Hinata rolled onto her side in agony, both of her hands clamped over her gushing wound. She was aware of the problematic exit wound in her back, knowing that it wouldn't be long before she bled out.

"Just to make sure that no one can interrupt us in your last moments, I put up a barrier that nobody can enter. Not even your fox friend," Madara remarked smugly. "At this point I'll admit that I probably can't finish him off on my own, so I'll be content on simply burning this mansion to the ground with everyone else inside."

Hinata gazed at him with a melancholy disgust. "What is wrong with you?" It seemed like a simple enough question, but the answer itself was quite complex. "I can understand why you'd want to eliminate competitors," she murmured. "But how could you kill your own family?"

"It wasn't nearly as difficult as you'd think," he responded with a smirk. "I wasn't very fond of my family to begin with, but once I found out that I could acquire certain abilities by sacrificing those who were closest to me, it was like a second nature. Most of the people that were killed had nothing to do with much of anything other than reaching the necessary numbers. But the blood of my own relatives ensured that I could become something much more than the kind of the man I already was. In order to achieve our goals, we sometimes have to make sacrifices, and my family was the best option. It's because of that that I am able to do the things I am capable of now."

"You summoned a demon," Hinata pointed out. "Does that mean that you yourself have become one?"

"Sadly, no. Although I had killed enough people and supplied enough blood to summon a demon, I myself could not turn into one," he lamented. "It doesn't work like that, unfortunately."

The indigo-haired girl stared at him with disbelief. He truly was a disgusting, selfish monster who clearly only cared about himself. He may not have been able to turn into a demon, but he sure as hell resembled one.

"It's rather unfortunate that you will not be around to see how things turn out once I leave here," Madara added with a smirk. "My demon is gone, but he was mainly used for this particular plan. If I kill enough people, I can summon him once again. I will stop at nothing to make sure my goals are achieved, and with my newfound abilities, there isn't anyone out there who can stop me. I'll dispose of your fox friend at a later time when I accumulate more power."

Hinata heaved herself up into a sitting position, her eyes locking onto his. She applied pressure to her injury, though she was beginning to find it pointless. "You're pathetic."

Madara narrowed his eyes, the irises turning red. "Is that what you think?"

"What you did was sick and unforgivable. You sacrificed your own family for your personal gain and nothing more. Only the lowest types of vermin do such things," she remarked icily. "You were so desperate for power that you ruined the lives of innocent people. You truly are the most pathetic man that I've ever had the displeasure of encountering."

"You have some nerve speaking to me in such a manner, considering that I'm not the one dying in a pool of my own blood," he sneered. "But I'm not quite done with you yet." With that, he grabbed her by the neck once again and pulled her up into a standing position while she let out a cry of pain. He ripped the choker away and tossed it aside, exposing the marking that Naruto had left on her.

Hinata struggled in his grasp, grabbing his wrists to try to wrench herself free. She attempted to kick him, too weakened to inflict any sort of damage.

Madara snickered. "Oh, so that demon marked you I see. It makes sense how you're still alive, I suppose. He prevented you from dying last time, but he won't get the chance this time around. He wanted your soul so badly that he made it impossible for anyone else to take it from you by marking you. Interesting."

"L-let me go!" Hinata tried to pull away as she felt his fingertips directly against the marking. "No, stop!"

With sadistic glee, Madara began to burn the area with his fingers for his own depraved amusement.

Hinata screamed as her soft skin was seared, feeling as though it was being melted away. Naruto always came when her marking was exposed, but if there really was a barrier up, there was no way for him to reach her this time. She writhed and struggled, moving her bloody hands away from her wound to thrash at Madara. While her small fists battered into him repeatedly, Madara only laughed as he continued to burn her.

"It's no use, my dear," he spoke loudly over her screaming. "Nothing you do can affect me. But if you want to put up a fight, I won't stop you. It won't be long before you join the rest of your family."

"Onee-san," Hanabi's voice eerily hissed in her ear. "Come with me. Mother and Father are waiting."

"Shut up!" Hinata suddenly reached behind her head and pulled the pin that she'd been using to secure her hair in place. She'd chosen one with a substantially sharp point specifically for a last ditch attack mechanism should she be in peril. She'd nearly forgotten about it. In a fit of anger and desperation, she stabbed it down deep into Madara's neck where it met his shoulder.

Completely off guard, Madara dropped Hinata from his grasp and grabbed his neck with a pained yell. Cursing, he reached for the pin, his fingers slick with blood as he angrily yanked it it out. Blood pulsated from his wound, immediately saturating his clothing. Hinata cupped the burned area of her own neck, tears in her eyes as she watched him with a hint of gleeful satisfaction. She knew she was about to die, but stabbing the bastard had been a nice little consolation prize.

Enraged, Madara kicked her in the side for her troubles, the bleeding hole in his neck already closing up. Hinata cried out, feeling a crack in her rib cage from the blow. Groaning, she held her side as she tried to pull herself into a stand. Madara grabbed hold of her flowing hair and pulled it so that she was forced to look up at him, standing only inches away from the ledge of the rooftop.

"I'd honestly love to torment you for just a little longer, but I really don't have any more time to waste on the likes of you. Please send your family my regards." With that, he violently shoved her backwards with enough strength to knock the wind out of her as she began to fall.

Hinata's eyes were wide with shock, feeling as though time had substantially slowed down. Her gaze was stuck on Madara, a cruel, almost boastful expression on his face. She couldn't breathe, much less make any sounds of distress. Instead, all she could do was accept her silent fate, despaired that she had failed everyone.

"Hinata!"

The barrier that Madara had created suddenly shattered and Naruto was right behind the Uchiha with a bluish, spinning sphere in each of his hands. Since he was no longer in his fox mode, Naruto couldn't fire the same black spheres that he'd used to destroy the Ten-Tails. But his human form still allowed him to use this slightly less powerful variation of its devastating counterpart. Just as Madara turned around to see what the commotion was, he barely had time to register what happened before his head was crushed between the two spheres. Naruto demolished his head completely with a hateful bloodlust, the man's blood splattered onto him. Madara may have gained a great power, but he wasn't immortal, and with his guard down, he had left himself in a fatally vulnerable position. Mid-fall, Hinata had been fortunate enough to witness the spectacular sight, finally feeling the weight lifting off of her shoulders. A soft, content smile formed on her pink lips.

Naruto let Madara's headless body crumple into a bloody heap, his focus now on Hinata. Their eyes met for the briefest of moments before the indigo-haired girl plummeted, out of his line of vision.

"HINATA!" Without a second thought, Naruto jumped off the roof after her.

**Okay, another chapter is finally done. I hope you didn't think that I rushed it, as I felt as though the whole thing had already dragged along enough. There is only one chapter left, thankfully, and then I can relax for a week or two before starting my next story/stories. Please review, and for the record, I edited this chapter so damn much that part of me died and had to be revived with a half gallon of ice cream. And I'll have you know that I wasn't a complete fatass because I didn't finish the entire thing. Anyway, the last chapter will be out in a week or two. Or that's what I'm hoping for, but my track record with deadlines sucks to say the least.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Okay, I finally found time out of my ever-consuming, soul-sucking existence to finally finish this damn story once and for all. Since it is the last chapter, it is also the longest. I didn't think that two chapters would be necessary, so I just did one long chapter instead. Problem!? ...Sorry, sorry, after working on the same story for so long, you tend to slowly lose your shit because it took way longer than you'd expected/wanted it to. Anyway, I hope you like this last chapter and I'll finally be able to move on with new stories.  
**

**The Demon's Contract**

**Chapter 25**

For the first time in weeks, Hinata finally felt some peace even as she fell. Her body felt lighter and free, as if nothing could weigh her down anymore. Watching Madara die before her eyes had been more than enough to release her from that hell that she'd desperately tried to both pursue and escape simultaneously. Her indigo hair billowed softly around her face, her lavender eyes gazing into the starry sky serenely for a brief moment before closing them. She felt no fear, instead ready to embrace the ending that she'd been waiting for, knowing that it was only a matter of seconds before it would be all over.

"HINATA!"

The young woman's eyes snapped open just as Naruto grabbed her. Their eyes met briefly, an arrogant smirk plastered on the demon's face. He landed on the ground in a crouch a moment later with Hinata safely gathered in his arms. The impact of the landing had cracked the pavement under his feet.

Hinata gazed at the male, stunned. She didn't know what to say as she tearfully stared into his cerulean eyes.

"You're not allowed to die like that," he remarked sternly, though his smirk remained.

"Y-you're covered in blood," Hinata murmured worriedly, noticing his stained clothing.

Naruto snorted and rose to his feet, carrying her away from the mansion. "I'm fine. I just need a little more time to recover."

Hinata relaxed a bit, her apprehension waning. "I see..." she mused tiredly, resting against his chest. "Wait, are the others okay?" she added, fear evident in her voice.

"They're alive," he replied nonchalantly. "I didn't spend much time dealing with them because I had to get to you. But I did at least check to make sure they weren't dead. They should be waking up sometime in the near future..."

With a content sigh of relief, Hinata closed her eyes once again, weak from the blood loss. Her neck still seared painfully, and the wound in her abdomen was even more excruciating. Yet none of that seemed to matter to her, even as her blood dripped onto the ground as the demon carried her into the garden.

Naruto brought her over to one of the benches that had managed to survive the battle and carefully laid her down on it. He knelt down on the ground beside the bench, brushing her hair off her forehead. His eyes widened when he noticed that the marking he'd left on her neck had been completely burned away. He leaned over her and ever-so-lightly touched the tender spot, causing her to wince in pain. However, he was even more shocked to learn that she had been shot in the same exact area of the previous gun shot wound. Was that merely a coincidence?

Naruto said nothing as he pressed his hand against her injury to slow down the bleeding. Deep down, however, he knew that it was already too late. She'd lost too much blood, and although he had managed to save her last time, he did not have the ability to do it a second time. His heart clenched as he realized that dreaded fact.

"What are you waiting for?" Hinata asked with mild confusion. "We had a deal." She didn't understand what he was hesitating for. Surely he'd brought her to the garden to consume her soul, as agreed.

"Hinata-chan..." He brushed a lock of hair out of her face, unsure of what to do. Part of him still wanted her soul, he couldn't deny that. Even now its sweetness seemed to call to him, almost seductively. It was ready for the taking. However, he wasn't ready to say goodbye to her just yet. Not now, after everything that they had gone through. For the first time since he could remember, his life finally felt as though it meant something. And without Hinata, there was truly nothing left for him in such an empty existence.

"Naruto-kun," the young woman quietly spoke up, flinching in pain again as she felt more blood seeping from her wounds. Droplets sprinkled down onto the ground below, staining it crimson. "Time is...running out." That last part had required more effort. Her head was growing hazy and she was aware of her heartbeat gradually becoming slower. She closed her eyes, her breathing labored as she continued to succumb to her injuries.

The blond male cursed under his breath, bitter tears stinging his eyes as he reached down to cup her face in his hands. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, his body shaking with a mixture of grief and anger. This wasn't supposed to happen. He should've been happy that he was about to take the soul that he'd obsessively craving for the past several weeks. It didn't feel right anymore. However, it was clear she was going to die regardless of if he chose to take it or not, and he was at a complete loss as to what he wanted to do.

"Thank you," Hinata whispered as they gently broke the kiss, gazing up at him lovingly. "For everything." Her eyes began to slowly close once again, her mind fading out of consciousness.

"Hinata!" Naruto had no choice but to make his decision right then and there. A frenzied thought crossed his mind, and although he wasn't sure if it was even possible, there was nothing else that he could think of. He didn't have time to ponder on it and instead slipped his hand beneath her head and lifted her up slightly, lowering his lips to hers.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Are you guys okay?" Sasori had been able to leave his bedroom and stumbled across the unconscious group in the hallway after going downstairs to the main level. He nudged Tobi's masked face with his shoe, a stoic and slightly aloof expression on his face. Because he'd been on a higher floor than the others, his energy had not been depleted as harshly as theirs had. His arm was still in its sling, though the bandages wrapped around his arm had been reduced to a lighter wrapping.

"Ugh...I feel like I have a fucking hangover," Hidan grumbled, wincing as he grabbed hold of the side of his head. "What the hell happened?"

"Beats me, un," Deidara groaned, still sprawled on the floor with a dazed expression on his face.

Everyone was slowly coming to their senses, though their first thoughts were confused and disoriented. The deafening noises from earlier had stopped, leaving the mansion completely silent. It was both comforting and slightly unsettling. What exactly had happened?

The carpeted hallway was stained with a series of white, gooey puddles that seemed to be the only remains of the Zetsus. It looked as though that whatever Zetsus had tried to reach them during their helpless state had melted into the puddles. Whatever had been controlling them must've lost the ability to do so, reducing the white creatures into the mess.

"Are we dead?" Tobi asked loudly.

"We must be, because this is Hell," Sai deadpanned as he stared at the white goop that had ruined the floor. He imagined himself spraying the affected spots with cleaning chemicals, only to throw a match onto the lot and watch everything burn with a content smile on his face.

"My head hurts," Ino complained, curled up into a fetal position.

Neji scanned the hallway, feeling uneasy. Were they finally safe? Sasori had apparently deemed it safe enough to venture outside of his bedroom, so he supposed that he could take it as a sign that there were no more present dangers.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Sasuke gently helped her up into a sitting position.

The pinkette turned red in the face, giving him a brief, awkward nod. "I-I'm fine."

"It looks as though the threat is gone," Pain spoke up as he gazed outside through one of the windows. Although the property had been left severely damage, there was no sign of any impending disasters.

"So, are we finally out of the woods?" Deidara asked with a tired sigh. "Because I'm ready for a nap, un..."

"But you were just sleeping, dumbass," Hidan muttered under his breath.

"We're not in the woods! We're in the mansion!" Tobi pointed out gleefully.

The exhausted blond stared at him for a moment. "You don't say..."

"Yeah! I mean, unless Hinata-sama built a mansion in the middle of the woods, I'm pretty sure that we're not in the woods," the masked man remarked as if it was simple.

"Okay, enough of this already. What exactly is the deal with that Naruto guy?" Sasuke demanded as he let go of Sakura. He was back on the defensive, and what he had witnessed earlier was still not sitting well with him. The fact that everyone else seemed oblivious to it only annoyed him even further. "We all saw what he turned into. And that thing that he was fighting. He's like some kind of monster!"

"So?" Itachi retorted unexpectedly. "Whatever he is, it was a good thing that he was here. It's likely we would've died without his assistance."

"You're joking, right?" The younger male frowned. "Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if this whole thing happened because of him-"

"No, this didn't happen because of him," Konan gently intercepted. "If Madara was targeting both you and your brother, as well as Hinata-sama, then Naruto being here would not have made a difference. He would've tried to eliminate all three of you regardless. Us, as well."

As much as he hated to admit it, Sasuke couldn't deny that. They had all been pawns in Madara's sick little game. The man had always had a cruel, sadistic side that Sasuke had picked up on from an early age. He knew that his uncle was capable of such things, though he had pretended otherwise. "So, what do you plan on doing now, then? Knowing that he's not exactly...normal?"

Sakura shrugged slightly. "What difference does that make at this point? I think it's safe to assume that he doesn't have any plans to kill us. He would've already if he really wanted to. I'm not worried about him."

"Sure, he's scary. Really scary," Ino squeaked as she sweat-dropped. "But honestly, we could use the extra security. I'm just going to pretend like I didn't see anything strange and carry on in my life of blissful ignorance."

Sasori spoke up. "I had an impressive view of the spectacle from my bedroom window. It was unbelievable to say the least. But he's qualified for the job, to say the least."

"While we were running around, you were watching a fucking epic fight from your bedroom window? Damn, talk about having it easy, un," Deidara complained.

Hidan rolled his eyes. "Ah, quit complaining. We got to kill those stupid white fuckers, which is a hell of a lot more exciting then just watching."

"Zetsus!" Tobi exclaimed.

Sai fell to his knees. "But the stains!"

"Shut up about the stains!" Hidan snapped.

Neji cast a pitying glance in Sai's direction. "I will take care of hiring a crew to clean this mess up-"

"No, this is my domain!" The young butler exclaimed, hugging the floor.

"Besides, how are we going to explain this to a cleaning company?" Sasori asked. "Say 'Hi, a bunch of white creatures attacked the mansion and now their gooey remains need to be attended to.'?"

Kisame snickered. "Don't forget out the damage outside, the giant hole in the wall, and the fact that all of your windows are probably shattered. Just explain that a giant fox and a Gedo statue were having a war outside near the garden."

Sakura sighed. "Well, that settles it. We repair the damage ourselves and get it cleaned up."

"Starting tomorrow," Ino mumbled, slumped up against Sai. "I'm done with life for the day. Too much weird, not enough ability to comprehend things."

"I'm sure that Hinata-sama won't mind, un," Deidara added, dozing off on the floor once again.

"Speaking of which, where are Naruto and Hinata anyway?" Tenten wondered, her voice laced with concern.

"Screwing in the coat closet?" Hidan quipped with a suggestive grin.

"No!" Ino, Tenten, and Sakura snapped back.

Tobi excitedly chimed in. "Oh! Maybe they're baking a cake!"

"The house got attacked and you think that they're baking a damn cake?" Deidara asked incredulously. "Did you fall out of a tree house or something as a child? Like really, un, what the hell is wrong with you?"

The masked man laughed. "Oh, funny how you mention that! There was this one time in bible camp when-"

"We don't need to hear any disturbing stories from you," Sai interjected. "I don't have quite enough bleach to clean both the mansion and everyone's minds."

"You went to a fucking bible camp?" Hidan snorted with laughter.

"How is falling out a tree house disturbing?" Jugo quietly wondered aloud.

"Well," Tobi began again, only to be interrupted by both Hidan and Deidara.

"Just shut the fuck up, Tobi," Hidan growled threateningly.

Deidara visibly shuddered. "Yeah, I already heard this story once. I'd rather not re-live the nightmare."

"That interesting, huh?" Kisame commented with a smirk.

"No, just...weird, un," Deidara replied, leaving it at that.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Naruto pulled back slightly once he was finished, his breathing rapid and anxious. He gazed down at the young woman in his arms, whom remained unresponsive. "Hinata? Can you hear me?" He gave her a light shake, then brushed some hair out of her face, looking for any signs of life in her. His finger clumsily found its way to her neck, where he attempted to find a pulse and avoid the burned mark that Madara had left. Her dress was saturated with blood, and the ground had become painted in vibrant red droplets. "Hinata."

The indigo-haired girl displayed no reaction, laying completely still in the demon's hold. It looked as though she was simply sleeping peacefully, undeterred by the horror that had taken place only a short while ago. The pale moonlight subtly shone over her, slightly illuminating her delicate features.

Naruto's desperate attempt to save her had failed, and he hugged her body tighter against his chest. "Damn it," he choked out, shaking from with rage and grief. "Fucking-!"

It was then that Hinata suddenly let out a soft gasp and her eyes opened, stiffening in Naruto's arms. Disoriented, she gazed listlessly up at the sky, unaware of her wounds healing even as Naruto stared down at her in shock. The burn on her neck disappeared, leaving behind smooth, unmarked porcelain-like skin. The holes in her abdomen slowly repaired themselves, eliminating all traces of the injuries. Unlike before, not a single mark or scar had been left behind.

"Hinata," Naruto softly spoke up, worried about her silence and listlessness. "Are you okay?"

Hinata blinked, the male's voice catching her attention as she gradually regained her senses. She looked away from the sky, now staring up at the blond demon with surprise, seemingly confused. "Naruto-kun? What happened?"

Instead of answering, Naruto grinned victoriously and crashed his lips against hers, taking her completely off guard. He held her against his chest, refusing to let go. Apparently his crazy idea had worked after all. Interesting.

"W-what's going on?" she asked him, growing more puzzled. "What happened? I-I thought you were supposed to take my soul."

"I did," he told her. "There was no way around that, because you were just about dead anyway. But after I took it, I gave you something in return." Naruto smirked with a bit of arrogance.

Hinata gazed up at him, still perplexed. "Umm...what did you give me?"

"Well, I guess you can say that I transferred a small amount of my demonic powers into your body," he explained. "I didn't even know if it would work, but I had no other option."

"So, what does that mean, then?" she inquired, trying to process what he had just said. "I'm not a demon now, am I? I don't feel any different."

Naruto shook his head briefly. "No, not exactly. You don't have my abilities or anything, but I was able to sustain your life force. By consuming your soul and replacing it with some of my power, I was able to keep you from dying. As long as you have that in you, you can't get hurt or die as easily as you could before. Unless I die for some reason. Or so I'm guessing," he added that last part nonchalantly, as if it wasn't a big deal.

"You did that for me?" Hinata seemed genuinely shocked. She knew that he cared about her, but didn't realize just how deep his love for her had been. Evidently it had been more than she ever could have imagined.

"I wasn't ready to lose you," he stated after a moment of hesitation. "Without you, my life...well, it sucks without you. And I wasn't ready to end things with you so easily. I love you too much." This was weird for a demon to say. But it was undeniable that it was how he truly felt. Without Hinata, this world wasn't worth living in, in his opinion. And as weird as it was, it felt amazing at the same time.

The young woman smiled warmly at him. "I love you, too, Naruto-kun." She felt his lips against hers as he leaned down to kiss her, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. She thought that she'd been ready to die, and to finally end the pain and suffering that she'd been afflicted with. However, knowing that she could continue to live on beside Naruto was more than she ever could have hoped for.

"Hey, Hinata, are you out here!?" A loud bellow from Hidan rattled the peaceful setting. "HINATA!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Naruto yelled back, annoyed that they had been interrupted. "She's right here, you asshole!"

"The fuck did you just say!?" The silver-haired man shouted back. "I'll beat your fucking ass!"

The blond snorted in contempt. "Yeah? Try me, you dick! I guarantee your ass will be underground in about ten seconds if you don't shut the hell up!"

With the moment ruined, all Hinata could do was awkwardly listen as the two men continued to go off at each other. They really did remind her of bickering children sometimes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I'd like to apologize for my actions," Hinata said to Itachi and Sasuke once they'd gone back inside the damaged mansion. "I was mistaken when I accused you of-"

Itachi held up a hand to silence her, offering a friendly smile. "No need to. You were led to believe that because of Madara's actions. I know that you wouldn't have thought lightly of the situation regarding my brother and I. We were led to believe that your family was the cause of our problems, so at the end of the day, we were simply pitted against each other."

"So Madara is dead, right?" Sasuke demanded, getting right to it. "Actually dead this time around? I don't want to see him in another six months because you were too incompetent to finish the job correctly."

"Well, his body is still up on the roof if you want to see for yourself," Naruto snickered. "I must warn you though, his head isn't quite all there. And who the hell are you calling incompetent, you bastard!?"

The younger Uchiha shook his head with disgust. "No, I suppose I'll take your word for it. I just want to make sure that he's gone for good."

"Seeing how he's your relative, legally you are allowed to take possession of his body and have it buried where you want it," Neji pointed out. "Otherwise, we're simply going to burn it."

"Feel free to burn it," Itachi said passively. "We have no need or desire to do anything honorable with such a despicable human being."

Ino shrugged. "I don't know, he didn't seem to be human to me. What kind of person can stop bullets like that?"

"Well, whatever he was, we have no interest in his remains." Sasuke glanced over at Sakura. "I have more important things that I'm concerned with."

"Like scoring a date with Sakura!" Tobi announced, much to Sasuke's chagrin.

"Shut up," the raven-haired male snapped, though he didn't deny the comment.

Itachi smiled warmly at Hinata. "Anyway, it's been quite an interesting night for all of us. I don't think we'll have much to worry about from this point on. If anything, I think this experience made us just a little closer and more trusting of one another. If you don't mind, Hinata, I'd like to discuss some business with you during the week. But for now, I think some well needed rest is in order."

"Who has time for rest when there are messes to be cleaned? I will get this place clean again even if it kills me," Sai muttered as he pushed a cart full of various cleaners and chemicals past them. "If all else fails, I will burn the place down and start fresh," he added as he pictured the same scenario of himself from earlier.

"Please don't burn the mansion down, Sai," Hinata requested. "I will replace the rugs if necessary..."

"Yeah, so don't set the place on fire," Naruto deadpanned.

Ino laughed with a hint of embarrassment. "Uh, I won't let him. But just in case, I'll supervise..." she trailed off, following her frenzied boyfriend as he hurriedly sped off with the cart in pursuit of fighting the first of many stains.

"You should really just get some rest," Hinata tried to call after them, only for them to disappear around a corner and cause her to simply give up on the matter. Ino would drag Sai's butt to bed before long anyway.

Itachi gave Hinata a brief hug, oblivious to Naruto's territorial glower as he stood behind the older Uchiha. Sasuke stood in close proximity to Sakura, neither of them sure of what to say. Sakura was vaguely aware of Tenten dozing off on the couch next to Neji, her body slumped against his as he wrapped an arm around her. She wished that it was Sasuke and herself on that damn couch instead.

"So...I was wondering if you'd maybe want to...stop by tomorrow?" Sasuke spoke up with an uncertainty in his voice.

Sakura blushed a bit and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Uh, yeah. That would be nice. I'm free whenever...so just let me know." She wanted to lean in and plant a soft kiss on his cheek, but thought better of it. Instead, she offered him a small wave and went to turn around. However, she felt her wrist being grabbed, and looked up just as Sasuke leaned down to kiss her quickly on his lips. The gesture greatly shocked her to very core, but she happily returned the affection nonetheless.

"Damn, everyone's getting laid," Hidan complained under his breath. "I need to get out there and find myself some bitch to hook up with."

"Make sure to keep it classy, un," Deidara remarked sarcastically.

Sasori smirked thinly. "I don't think Hidan understand what 'classy' means."

"Hey, fuck you!" Hidan snapped indignantly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Do you think the others figured out what you are exactly?" Hinata asked once she was alone in her bedroom with Naruto. "Although I missed the entire thing, I heard that your fight was pretty intense. The destroyed property kind of made it even more obvious."

"If they did figure it out, none of them seem to care enough to bring it up. Or maybe they're all hoping that they just hallucinated the scenario. Or they're too afraid to mention it. Either way, none of them made any attempt to say shit about it," he added nonchalantly. "By the way, what exactly happened to you on the roof? Why were you looking as though you were about to commit suicide?"

Hinata sighed and sat down on the edge of her bed, clad in only a short, silky white nightgown. "Madara was making me see things and forcing me to move without any free will."

"What kind of things did you see?" he asked as he sat down beside her. He was dressed in a pair of black sweatpants, leaving his chiseled chest bare.

"Just some horrifying images that seemed realistic. But I was able to break free of it. It was because of you," she added with a light blush. "I heard you calling for me, and I guess something clicked in my head..."

Naruto, noticing that she seemed embarrassed, decided to change the subject. "Pain and Hidan removed that asshole's body and threw it in the furnace. And Sai nearly burned the roof off trying to sanitize it," Naruto recalled with a snicker.

Hinata turned to face him, smiling somewhat sheepishly. "So what happens now? Things didn't turn out as we had planned..."

"Well, I kind of like this job, to be honest with you. And there's no reason why you shouldn't continue to run your company, if you really think about it. You still have the rest of your life to go through, and I've already done anything that I could remotely give a damn about. I want to stay here with you and be by your side." Naruto wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. He not-so-subtly peeked down at her cleavage, the low-cut neckline of her nightgown leaving minimal coverage. Some things never changed.

Hinata's face turned a light shade of pink, but she slowly moved her face closer to his. However, just as she was about to kiss him, Naruto beat her to it by suddenly crashing his lips against hers. He held her tightly against his chest, one of his hands behind her head to keep her in place. Hinata kissed him back feverishly, a pleasured moan escaping her lips. After a few seconds, they broke the kiss and softened their holds on one another. Getting comfortable, the two cuddled on the bed, with Hinata's head resting against Naruto's shoulder.

"So, now that Madara's gone, how should I celebrate this new chapter of my life? Or, _our_ life, I should say," Hinata murmured, still blushing.

"Well, getting you drunk and convincing to you to have sex with me twenty times sounds like a fun way to celebrate," Naruto insinuated with a smirk.

"Rejected."

The blond male chuckled. "Alright, how about you take a break from all of this company bullshit and spend the day with me tomorrow, then. Just us."

Hinata smiled and snuggled against him. "Sounds good to me. I love you."

Naruto grinned. "I love you too." He leaned down and kissed her softly. "While we're out, I have to stop by the store because Deidara ran out of stuff to make ramen and he's too damn lazy to go to the store himself. Sorry, but I need my ramen."

"Of course you do."

**Okay, that concludes my story once and for all. I had a tough time finding a way to end it to my liking, as I didn't want to drag it on unnecessarily, but I didn't want to end it too quickly either. Overall, I'm content with the finished product, though some may disagree. Hopefully most of you enjoyed it, and regardless, I am now free to work on the stories that I've been trying to start for some time now. I've been very busy lately so finding time to write is getting difficult, but I plan to have something out over the next 2 weeks. As I've said before, I have a NaruHina lemon compilation that I want to begin, as well as a HidaHina one-shot lemon at some point. Also, I have a multi-chaptered story that I am in the process of starting as well. I'll keep you posted for updates (as long as I don't forget or am just too plain lazy) and thanks for reading!**


End file.
